Mainland Chinese can apply for solo visits to Taiwan from June 22 under an agreement concluded by the Taipei-based Straits Exchange Foundation and its Beijing counterpart the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits.
The first stage of the program will see up to 500 mainland Chinese enter Taiwan per diem for 15-day maximum sojourns. Currently, only residents of Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen are eligible under the agreement.
Applicants, who may be accompanied by spouses, parents or dependents, must be at least 20, possess a verifiable yearly income of NT$500,000 (US$17,300) or have NT$200,000 in the bank. Those who overstay will be banned from entering Taiwan for three years.
In addition, students 18 years and above will be considered for the program as long as they can provide proof of full-time enrolment in a recognized tertiary institution.
Mainland Affairs Council Minister Lai Shin-yuan said June 22 that independent travel permits mainland Chinese visitors to experience the dynamics of Taiwanese society. “This kind of cross-strait exchange is a great opportunity to promote Taiwan’s soft power.”
According to Lai, the initiative will benefit Taiwan’s tourism-related industries and create more business opportunities for local people. “Since further opening to mainland Chinese tourist groups in July 2008, Taiwan has enjoyed NT$120 billion in tourism revenue,” she said.
Lai said all necessary steps have been taken by the ROC government to ensure the program runs smoothly, and that the incidence of overstays is kept to a minimum. “The MAC’s approach is to maximize opportunities while minimizing risks.”
Tourism Bureau Deputy Director-General David Hsieh said the program will give Taiwan’s food and beverage, leisure agriculture and medical tourism industries a welcome shot in the arm.
“This agreement stands to generate between NT$9.1 billion and NT$19.5 billion in additional revenues annually,” Hsieh added.
National Immigration Agency Director-General Ho Jung-chun said the first group of mainland Chinese approved under the program is expected to arrive in Taiwan by June 26 at the earliest.
Taiwan’s tourism industry has performed well in 2011. Bureau statistics indicate that the island welcomed an all-time high of 5.57 million visitors in 2010 and is poised to exceed the goal of six million this year. As of April, 1.92 million visitors had arrived in Taiwan—a year-on-year increase of 9.48 percent and in line with bureau projections.
