The Tourism Bureau yesterday said it has not received any official notification about an alleged decision by Beijing to reduce the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Taiwan, adding that the quota for Chinese tourists arriving via tour groups would return to 5,000 people per day in March.
The bureau said the rumor was circulating on the Professional Technology Temple (PTT) — Taiwan’s largest academic online bulletin board — on Sunday night following the presidential and legislative elections on Saturday, suggesting that China intends to reduce the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Taiwan from 5,000 people per day to 3,750 people per day, with the new policy supposedly due to take effect on Feb. 21.
Prior to the elections, the bureau said it had heard rumors that China planned to lower the number of Chinese visitors to Taiwan to 2,500 per day.
The bureau said it has sent inquiries to the relevant authorities, but has yet to receive any official response.
Beijing regulates the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Taiwan by dividing them into two categories — those traveling with tour groups and independent travelers. The bureau’s quota for each category is 5,000 people per day.
Last year, the bureau temporarily raised the quota for Chinese tourists arriving via tour groups to 8,000 per day following complaints from travel agents. The bureau said the measure would end on Feb. 29, adding that the quota would return to 5,000 in March.
Many Taiwanese travel agents have sought to verify the authenticity of the rumor, but said they have received no confirmation.
Others said that the rumor might be a way of attracting customers by urging people to sign up for tours to Taiwan before it is too late.
The bureau said that the National Immigration Agency continues to receive applications for entry permits from Chinese tour groups.
The number of Chinese tour group visitors traveling to Taiwan during the elections dropped by 31 percent, the bureau said, adding that the number rebounded to 5,613 per day on Sunday.
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