Taiwan’s free independent travelers (FIT) program has drawn enthusiastic response from people in China’s two main cities, local media quoted Chinese sources as saying.
Travel agencies in Beijing and Shanghai reportedly received numerous phone calls the following day inquiring about details after Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council unveiled on Wednesday the FIT program for Chinese citizens under which a daily maximum of 500 adult residents from Beijing and Shanghai will be allowed to make independent trips to Taiwan.
A number of Beijing travel agencies have opened special Web sites to test the market and they were cited as saying that all vacancies were fully booked within a few hours.
Even residents in Xiamen have shown keen interest in the FIT program, as the southeastern Chinese coastal city in Fujian Province is very likely to be added to the short list of cities for the new opening measure, local media said.
China Beijing Youth Travel Service is one of the Chinese travel agencies most active in trying to attract young residents in the capital city to make independent pleasure trips to Taiwan.
Ge Lei, general manager of the agency’s travel promotion department, said the company had made extensive preparations for the FIT program, including a marketing survey, tour package planning and classification, publicity and setting up a special service counter for would-be independent travelers.
“We have even launched an online reservation program for Beijing residents interested in making independent sightseeing trips to Taiwan,” Ge said.
As the daily quota is limited to 500, Ge said the vacancies would be fully booked very soon.
“I believe calls for raising the ceiling will arise soon,” he added.
In Shanghai, travel agencies also reported sharp increases in phone calls inquiring about the FIT program.
Zhang Zheng, a manager at Shanghai Youth Travel Service, said people began to approach the company for information about the program two months ago and the number of inquiries rose sharply on Thursday.
“If Taiwan does not impose a daily ceiling, it would definitely overtake Japan very soon as the most popular travel destination for independent tourists from Shanghai,” Zhang said.
In Taipei, people familiar with cross-strait affairs said that both sides had reached a consensus on allowing residents in Xiamen or even in the whole of Fujian Province to make independent sightseeing trips to Taiwan.
Reports from China said Fujian authorities were actively preparing for its residents to make independent travel to the outlying islands of Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu.
As a number of Taiwan--produced drama series starring pop idols were shot in Penghu and have been shown in China, many young Fujian residents are reportedly eager to travel to the scenic island county.
As Taiwan prepares to open its doors to independent Chinese travelers, the National Immigration Agency plans to recruit 572 immigration officers to help handle expanded immigration affairs and minimize national security risks.
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