Starting later this year, individual tours are expected to be available for visitors from the mainland. And Chairperson of China's National Tourism Administration, Shao Qiwei, recently arrived in Taiwan for preliminary discussions. And the new measure has been scheduled to begin in the second quarter.

Led by China National Tourism Administration Chairman Shao Qiwei, a 413-member delegation of tourism industry professionals recently arrived in Taiwan.

During their stay on the island, they met with representatives from hotels and travel agencies eager to make a good first impression.

Chinese tourists are currently not permitted to travel to Taiwan on their own, and must go through a travel agency to process their trips.China and Taiwan are now ready to launch a free travel trial phase for residents of Beijing, Shanghai, and other preferential cities, but the two sides have not yet reached a consensus on the issue of deposits.

According to Tourism Bureau statistics, Chinese tourists to Taiwan accounted for 92.8 billion NT in revenues last year. Half of that amount was charged to China UnionPay cards.

Individual Chinese tourists are expected to be able to begin traveling to Taiwan in the second quarter of the year, and the tourism industries on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are waiting in anticipation.