TAIPEI, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan mulled allowing citizens from 15 more mainland cities to travel to the island as individual tourists (without contracts to travel agencies) this year, the island's tourism authority announced on Thursday.

Besides, the tourism authority expected the previously mulled expansion of daily quota for mainland individual tourists be realized as early as April.

It was announced earlier that Taiwan will lift its daily quota for individual tourists from the Chinese mainland to 4,000, compared with the previous ceiling of 3,000.

During the Chinese Lunar New Year break from Feb. 1 to Feb. 5, 26,800 mainland tourists visited Taiwan as individual tourists, the island's tourism authority said.

Taiwan first opened the door to individual tourists from mainland cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen in 2011 and granted permission to ten more mainland cities in 2012.

There is no limit on tourists traveling in tour package groups.