Relax - Tourists from China rising steadily: MAC

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TAIPEI, Taiwan - More than 646,000 Chinese nationals made sightseeing trips to Taiwan in the 18 months since the country opened its doors wider to Chinese tourists in July 2008, according to the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC).

Though Chinese tourist arrival numbers have risen steadily during that time, they are expected to grow even more in years to come after Taiwan and China swap offices governing tourism and travel affairs, the MAC said.

“Once established, the tourism offices will offer faster, more convenient and more efficient services to cross-strait tourists,” a MAC official said.

Between July 2008 and Dec. 31, 2009, 26,488 Chinese tour groups comprising 646,783 individuals took trips to Taiwan, mostly on eight-day, seven-night tour packages.

With daily individual spending estimated at US$250 (S$353), the Chinese tourists have contributed roughly US$1.13 billion to Taiwan's economy over the past 18 months, the MAC said.

Despite the steady growth, however, the number of inbound Chinese tourists has not reached the average quota of 3,000 per day.

Such a number was not significant at the beginning, MAC officials contend, but following closer communications and coordination efforts between tourism officials and travel agencies on the two sides, tourist arrivals rose to about 3,000 daily in April and May last year.

The number declined slightly after August 2009 because of Typhoon Morakot, one of the worst natural disasters in Taiwan in decades, and the impact of the influenza A (H1N1) epidemic, before picking up again in November, the MAC said.

“Now the average number of inbound Chinese tourists stands about 2,000 daily,” the official said.

According to the MAC, only 20 Chinese nationals from among the 646,783 tourist arrivals went unaccounted for, far lower than figures posted in Taiwan before 2008, when on average 36 out of every 100,000 Chinese entering the country absconded.

The ratio is even higher in Japan, where 140 out of every 100,000 Chinese disappear after entering, the MAC said.

Of the 20 who have fled in Taiwan over the past 18 months, two have been nabbed while the remaining 18 have yet to be found, the MAC said.

In 2009 alone, Chinese nationals were the second largest group of foreign visitors to Taiwan, behind only the Japanese, with 972,213 arrivals, including 606,174 traveling as tourists.

Tourists from China rising steadily: MAC

The China Post | Fri, Feb 19 2010

Chinese tourists have contributed roughly S$1.6 billion to Taiwan's economy.

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