Angry Taiwanese travel operators warn of protest at presidential oath after U-turn on group tours to mainland China

Taiwan blames Beijing’s civilian flight path change for its decision to retain group travel ban after promising rollback on March 1

Flip-flop is slammed as ‘surprise raid’, as travel agents’ body questions legal basis and warns of protest during May 20 presidential inauguration

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Already finalised group tours scheduled to depart between March 1 and May 31 can still go ahead, with the ban taking effect on June 1. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:00pm, 13 Feb 2024

A Taiwanese travel industry body has warned it might stage a protest during the island’s presidential inauguration, after operators were caught off guard by a government U-turn on resuming group tours to mainland China.

Taipei said in November it would lift a nearly four-year ban on travel agencies organising mainland-bound tour groups as of March 1, but changed tack last week to maintain the embargo.

The U-turn came days after Beijing adjusted a civilian flight path closer to the Taiwan Strait median line, a notional midway point between self-governed Taiwan and mainland China. The unilateral move was seen as a fresh bid by Beijing to squeeze the air space controlled by Taipei.

Wednesday’s suspension announcement from Taiwan’s Tourism Administration surprised travel operators, many of whom had already made arrangements for tours scheduled until July and even beyond.

Ringo Lee, chairman of the Taipei-based High Quality of Travel Association, said many travel operators in Taiwan had “waited long and hard for the [mainland] business to resume, only to see their hopes dashed again”.

He said the government should have at least consulted the local operators before announcing an important decision like this.