国内英语新闻:Taiwan allows higher quotas, longer visits for mainland tourists

TAIPEI, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan authorities has temporarily raised the daily quota of mainland tourists from 3,000 to 7,200, to cope with the increasing number of travelers.

    Tse Lap-kong, a Taiwanese official, said the temporary adjustment was meant to cope with the surge of tourist numbers in the coming two weeks, a travel peak season for mainlanders.

    It is estimated that more than 30,000 mainland tourists could arrive in Taiwan in the coming week, with a daily average of 4,100.

    Daily mainland tourist arrivals were less than 3,000 in the first few months since Taiwan was opened to them as a destination last July, and the temporary change would use the unfulfilled quota from that period, Tse said.

    The daily quota would remain at 3,000 on a yearly average, he said.

    Taiwan authorities might also extend the allowed period for visiting mainland businessmen and professionals, with a final decision in late April, local media reported.

    Business trips would be extended from a maximum of two weeks to one month, and visiting businessmen and experts would be allowed an additional five days based on their travel schedule, according to the reports.

    Industrial and commercial organizations with an annual turnover of more than 30 million New Taiwan dollars (883,260 U.S. dollars) would have the number of invited mainlanders increased from 50 to 200, while the number for those below 30 million New Taiwan dollars would rise to 45 from 15, said the reports.

    Local authorities were also planning to shorten the approval time for applications of mainland businessmen from one month to two weeks.

    More than 174,000 Chinese mainland tourists visited Taiwan from July last year till early April, according to mainland statistics.

    The daily number of mainland visitors to the island on organized trips reached about 3,000 at the end of March, he said, adding that the number soared to more than 4,000 on April 7.

    The Chinese mainland and Taiwan agreed to allow mainland tourist groups travel to the island after a meeting between the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait chairman Chen Yunlin and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation chairman Chiang Pin-kun in June last year. The first tourist group arrived in Taiwan on July 4.