The Taiwan authorities have no reason to reject tourists from mainland, president of the Taiwan Association of Travel Agents Zeng Shenghai said in an interview with People's Daily reporter.

Mr. Zeng, who had visited the mainland as a member of the PFP delegation, told PD reporter that he wishes the mainland can open tourism to Taiwan for mainland residents as soon as possible because this is good to people across the straits. Related industries in Taiwan in particular will reap fabulous profits from this. If Taiwan receives 1,000 tourists from mainland every day and each tourist spends 10,000 new Taiwan Dollars (approx 319 US dollars), Taiwan will be earning 50 bln new Taiwan Dollars more annually.

Zeng stressed that mainland and Taiwan should sign agreements in advance in order to guarantee tourists' rights and quality of their tour. Mainland and Taiwan can authorize industry organizations to sign agreement on tourism, just like what they had done to enable charter flight for Taiwan businessmen during the Spring Festival. This is an effective measure for the two sides for the time being. Now what people can do is to see how the Taiwan authorities respond to mainland's goodwill.

Zeng told the reporter that about 3 million people from Taiwan go to mainland every year during the past 10 years, but only 20,000 to 30,000 from mainland enter Taiwan annually. He hoped fruits of Lien Chan and James Soong's visits to mainland will change the current situation. He called related departments in Taiwan to shorten the time needed to go through formalities for visitors from mainland. Facts have proved that neither side can eliminate misunderstanding of the other or know the other better without sufficient communications. As the leader of the travel agents' organization, Zeng is will to contribute his part to the cross-straits exchange.

By People's Daily Online