Mainland tourists a big boon for Taiwan

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(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-06-26 18:00

Taiwan is not as much of a shopping paradise as Hong Kong, and it will receive fewer of the shopping-mad one- and two-day visitors who go to Hong Kong mostly to buy things, says Chiu.

According to the World Tourism Organization, Chinese mainland generated 41 million outbound tourists in 2007, and that number continues to grow each year, which means that 3,000 visitors a day, or 1.1 million each year, represents only a tiny fraction of the potential numbers of mainland tourists who might come to Taiwan.

That 3,000-a day number could be raised in the future, and if it is, revenue and GDP growth would surge accordingly.

Most analysts believe Taiwan has enough infrastructure – hotels, airport space, transportation links, and tourism sites – to easily accommodate at least the initial 3,000 visitors a day.

"In popular tourist spots, such as Sun Moon Lake, Alishan and various national scenic areas, the basic infrastructure, transport and facilities of these areas will be closely examined and improved in order to provide a better tourist environment," says Christine Lai, an official of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau.

The Tourism Bureau has also set up a hotline for mainland travelers, in case they have problems to report, and it is holding training courses for travel agents and hotels, to better prepare them for the influx of visitors.

Beyond that, all they can do is wait for the announcement, a prospect that fills the tourism sector with anticipation. "You will see more people smiling on the streets of these days," says Eddie Lee, owner of Taipei-based Tiptop Tour and Travel, a travel agency that is Asia's leading wholesaler of hotel rooms. "There is more optimism about the future, because we have been suffering for so many years. Taiwan has nothing to lose, and much to gain."

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