TAIPEI: Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou has expressed confidence that up to 700,000 mainland tourists will visit Taiwan in 2009, according to a report yesterday.

With mid-July marking the start of peak holiday season, Ma told the Commercial Times that Taiwan is set to welcome 700,000 mainlanders - or 2,000 a day - by the end of the year. In making the prediction, Ma cited a tourism bureau estimate.

"I believe many people would be willing to invest (in tourism) if the number (of mainland tourists)can stay at 2,000," Ma said.

Taiwanese authorities in April temporarily increased the allowable number of mainland visitors to 5,000 a day, after a sharp rise in interest in travel to Taiwan during the May 1 (Labour Day) holidays. In the intervening weeks the numbers of mainland travelers have fallen off.

Ma noted that June traditionally is the low season, and the spread of swine flu made things worse.

Some 360,000 mainlanders have visited Taiwan since July 2008, after Ma's government trebled the daily quota on visitors from across the Straits to 3,000.

Mainland visitors have helped to keep Taiwan's tourism industry afloat this year, as the global economic crisis has exacted a toll on the numbers of visitors from the US, Europe and other places in Asia.

AFP

(HK Edition 07/15/2009 page2)