10 More Chinese Cities Allowed into FIT Plan

Tourism authorities of both Taiwan and China have recently agreed to add 10 more Chinese cities to the FIT (free independent traveler) plan to further develop such business on the island.

So FITs from Harbin, Taiyuan, Nanchang, Guiyang, Dailian, Wuxi, Wenzhou, Zhongshan, Yentai, and Zhangzhou are allowed to tour Taiwan starting August 18.

The FIT plan started in June 2011 with only three cities--Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen--and by April 2012 six more cities were added, including Tianjin, Chongqing, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Chengdu, with, in August of the same year, four more cities having been approved: Jinan, Xian, Fuzhou, and Shenzhen.

Last year some 13 cities were chosen to take part in the plan, boosting the number to 26 for the FIT program, whose number rises to 36 with the latest addition of 10.

From June 2011 to June 2014 Taiwan witnessed some 1.2 million FITs from China,  half million of which came in the first half of this year to average daily of 2,785 tourists.

The number of Taiwanese visitors to China in the first six months rose an annual 3.7% to 2.54 million.

To cope with growing cross-strait travelers, airlines on both sides have increased this year  weekly two-way flights to 828 from last year's 670, with the number of direct flight destinations having risen to 64. (JL)