In 2024, Taiwan people made over 4.02 million trips to the Chinese mainland, marking a significant 54.3 percent increase from the previous year, a spokesperson announced on Wednesday.
Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, highlighted at a recent press conference that the mainland has continuously worked to facilitate personnel exchanges across the Taiwan Strait. This effort particularly supports Taiwan people in working, studying, and living in southeastern Fujian Province.
Fujian, designated as a demonstration zone for cross-Strait integrated development, experienced 920,000 trips by Taiwan people in the past year, reflecting a 53.3 percent year-on-year growth, according to Chen.
Furthermore, there were 8,817 trips operated on direct routes between Fujian's coastal areas and Kinmen and Mazu. These routes transported over 1.37 million passengers, with year-on-year increases of 67.2 percent and 78.8 percent, respectively.
The four direct passenger routes—Mawei to Mazu, Huangqi to Mazu, Quanzhou to Kinmen, and Xiamen to Kinmen—currently operate up to 210 trips in total per week, Chen added.
Since the resumption of travel for Fujian residents to Mazu and Kinmen last year, by the end of December, Mazu had received 193 group tourists and 885 individual tourists, while Kinmen had welcomed 2,834 group tourists and 39,751 individual tourists, according to the spokesperson.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced in late August 2024 the resumption of travel for Fujian residents to Kinmen, with the first tour group arriving in September. Mazu also welcomed its first tour group in August last year.
Reference(s):
2024: Taiwan residents make over 4 mln trips to mainland, up 54.3%
cgtn.com
