Taiwan Administration Halts Tourism to China

Travel agencies were instructed by Taiwan's Tourism Administration on February 7 to cease planning any new group tours to China, as Beijing has changed the flight path over the strategically important Taiwan Strait and has not yet permitted Chinese tourists to visit the island.

Following the pandemic, China has mainly restored its citizens' travel permits to a number of well-liked tourist spots, such as Japan; however, because of continuous tensions between Beijing and Taipei, Taiwan has not yet been added to this list. China asserts its territorial claims over democratically-governed Taiwan in spite of the Taipei government's adamant opposition.

Taiwan had planned to resume group tours for Taiwanese to China from Mar 1 after they were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the tourism authority said those already organised from that date to May 31 could go ahead.

But "considering the change in the situation", including China not allowing Chinese to visit Taiwan and China's altering of a flight route through the Taiwan Strait last week, Taiwanese travel agencies cannot arrange any more tours, the Tourism Administration said in a statement.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Taiwan's government expressed anger after China "unilaterally" changed the flight path close to the strait's median line, saying it appeared to be a deliberate attempt to change the status quo for possible military means.