With direct flights due to fly between the mainland and Taiwan cities in two weeks' time, airlines and tourism agencies are busy improving their service to fill seats on the new flights.

When planes are able to fly directly across the Taiwan Straits, air travel between the mainland and Taiwan will be easy and regular.

When planes are able to fly directly across the Taiwan Straits, air travel between the mainland and Taiwan will be easy and regular.

To attract more travellers, tourism agencies are developing new routes, while airlines are studying how they can improve their service.

Wang Yuan, director of Shenzhen Airlines, said, "We will look at the demands of commercial travellers and tourists and set our flight schedules accordingly."

An average of 600 or 700 mainland tourists are expected to visit Taiwan each day, but tourism insiders on the island expect more.

Xu Haoyuan, manager of Taiwan Car Rental Company, said, "We hope the mainland will allow more tourists to visit Taiwan. At least 3000 people every day. "

And with oil prices plunging by about 60 percent, some believe there's room to cut the price of direct flights by about 40 percent.

Taiwan's Consumer Committee has already proposed such plans to the island's airline authority.

(CCTV December 4, 2008)