Mainland China gives green light to first post-Covid group tours to Taiwan

Groups from Fujian and Shanghai are the first to be allowed to visit the island in a move Beijing says will help ‘strengthen exchanges’

Reading Time:2 minutes

Group tours from mainland China to Taiwan were halted during the pandemic. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:18pm, 17 Jan 2025Updated: 7:40pm, 17 Jan 2025

The mainland Chinese authorities have lifted a pandemic-era ban on travel to Taiwan, allowing tour groups from Shanghai and Fujian province to visit the island.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry said preparations were “actively under way” – although there is no timetable for visits to resume – and the move would help normalise cross-strait exchanges, state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday.

All outbound group trips from mainland China, including to Taiwan, were halted at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Beijing started allowing overseas group tours again in 2023 and since then travel has resumed to most destinations, including the United States and much of Europe.

But cross-strait travel has fallen down the list of priorities as a result of ongoing political tensions between Beijing and Taipei.

In February last year, Taipei delayed a plan that could allow local agencies to organise tour groups to mainland China, citing the failure by Beijing to allow group tours to the island.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x

Mainland China gives green light to first post-Covid group tours to Taiwan

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Groups from Fujian and Shanghai are the first to be allowed to visit the island in a move Beijing says will help ‘strengthen exchanges’

Groups from Fujian and Shanghai are the first to be allowed to visit the island in a move Beijing says will help ‘strengthen exchanges’