Travelers from the Fujian province will first be able to visit Matsu and then the main island of Taiwan, once direct sea services resume, official says. Analyst says the reopening of travel depends on Taipei’s actions after William Lai Ching-te takes office as the island’s leader next month.
Mainland China was once the biggest source of inbound tourists to Taiwan, with the number exceeding 2.7 million in 2019, accounting for 23 percent of the total.
The number of mainland tourists visiting the island fell to just over 220,000 in 2023, according to data from Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
