Mainland tourists shunning Taiwan

Taiwan is expected to see fewer mainland tourists during the upcoming National Day holiday, as cross-Straits relations remain in stalemate.

Bookings for trips to Taiwan during the holiday from Oct 1 to Oct 7, also known as the Golden Week, dropped by 20 to 30 percent from last year, according to the China Youth Travel Service, a major tourism operator in China.

Meanwhile, Taiwan tourism professionals are predicting that the number of mainland travelers may drop by 44 percent year-on-year in 2016, according to media reports.