Taiwan Tourism Administration: 2.492 Million Trips to the Mainland in January-August, Up 19.63% Year on Year
Taiwan residents made 2.492 million trips to mainland China in the first eight months of this year, up 19.63 percent from the same period last year, according to statistics from the Tourism Administration under Taiwan's transportation ministry. The figures reflect gradually restored cross-strait flights and recovering family, business and leisure travel, including Taiwan businesspeople and their families who commute across the strait, as well as tourists and short-term exchange visitors. Total outbound trips by Taiwan residents also rose over the same period, with Japan, South Korea and Vietnam among the top destinations and the mainland remaining near the top of the list. Airlines currently operate cross-strait services linking Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung with major mainland cities. Separately, the Mainland Affairs Council reported 458 cases this year, as of mid-October, of Taiwan travellers reported missing, questioned or restricted in personal freedom after travelling to the mainland, four more than a week earlier. The two sets of figures come from the agencies' respective public statistics.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：桃园国际机场航厦内（资料图）。Ralff Nestor Nacor 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，取自维基共享资源。Photo: Inside Taoyuan International Airport (file photo). By Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
