A delegation consisting of more than 60 tourism officials from the mainland is expected to arrive in Taiwan today for a 10-day market inspection visit.

Shao Qiwei, director of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), is leading the delegation on a tour of scenic spots and tourism facilities around the island. For the purposes of this visit, Shao goes in his capacity as chairman of the China Tourism Association, and at the invitation of the Taiwan Visitors Association.

The visit is widely seen as a prelude to the complete opening of Taiwan tourism to mainland tourists. The tourism market has been partially closed to mainlanders since the political split in 1949.

"The aim of the visit is to inspect tourist routes, facilities and services on the island, including specific scenic spots, hotels, transport and shopping facilities as well as security," Zhang Jianzhong, spokesman for the CNTA, said at a news conference yesterday.

The delegates are also expected to hold talks with representatives of travel agents and tourism associations on opening Taiwan to mainland tourists as soon as possible, Zhang said.

"Delegates will not be meeting with Taiwan officials during their visit," Zhang told reporters.

Cheng Yunlin, director of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Taiwan Work Office, said in May that the office plans to relax restrictions on tourists traveling to the island.

Currently, Taiwan only allows supervised groups of 15 to 40 tourists from the mainland on 10-day visas and limits arrival numbers to 1,000 a day.

Although the exact date for the opening of Taiwan to tourists from the mainland remains unknown, insiders reckon the market for tourism is huge.

"We have been designing routes for 9-day, 10-day and 11-day tours on the island since May, when the nation announced the relaxation of restrictions on tourists traveling to Taiwan," an official from the Beijing-based China CYTS Tours Holding Co Ltd told China Daily in a telephone interview yesterday.

(China Daily October 28, 2005)