"I can't believe it." this is the reaction of all walks of life in Taiwan after hearing that the mainland will suspend individual free travel to Taiwan on the morning of July 31. According to Taiwan media reports, tourists on the island have been seeking confirmation from their mainland counterparts on the same day, "hope is not true.". After the rumors turned out to be true, Zhao Shaokang, a well-known political commentator in Taiwan, sighed in the media: "this is definitely the most important news in Taiwan in recent years and will become the front page headlines of all media on the island." Since the opening of mainland tourism to Taiwan in 2008, the number and development trend of mainland tourists have become the focus of public opinion on the island. Mainland tourists have become the main source of tourism revenue in Taiwan. At the same time, the number of mainland tourists has also become a wind vane of cross-strait relations. After the hot period from 2009 to 2015 and the bleak period after 2016, the island's tourism industry has experienced ups and downs for 11 years. During this period, Taiwan society also had complex emotions in the face of the arrival of mainland tourists. What have mainland tourists brought to Taiwan these years?
It exceeded the expectation of "increasing 60 billion business opportunities every year" in that year
'fried the pot over.' Taiwan's Wang Bao described the reaction of Taipei tourists after hearing that the mainland had suspended free travel to Taiwan on the morning of July 31. In the afternoon, after the official announcement was posted on the website of the Ministry of culture and tourism of the mainland, Taiwan's tourists were filled with emotion that "Daizhi has a big article" (things are in trouble). " According to the nature of government announcements, the more concise the text, the more serious the attitude. " A tourist surnamed Lin said that the essence of the mainland announcement is only eight words - "in view of the current cross-strait relations", which is reduced to "there is no room for turning around". Another tourist said, 'many people will be miserable'.
The current sad look of Taiwan's tourism industry is in sharp contrast to the full expectation and excitement in 2008. In June 13, 2008, the Chinese mainland's Association for relations across the Taiwan Straits and the Taiwan Straits Exchange Foundation negotiated in Beijing to conclude and sign the agreement on the mainland's residents' travel to Taiwan on the mainland and Taiwan, which stipulates that the mainland residents' tour to Taiwan will be formally implemented in July 18th.
However, the beginning of Lu Ke's trip to Taiwan can be counted from July 4 of that year. On that day, the first batch of mainland tourist groups flew directly to Taiwan by cross-strait weekend charter flights, with a total of 662 tourists. At that time, Taiwan media reported that the tourism industry did its best in catering, transportation, accommodation, shopping and other aspects, trying to make mainland tourists "want to come when they come". Many counties and cities on the island have also opened a "war of robbing and retaining tourists", and have offered heavy rewards to travel agencies in the hope that they will attract more mainland tourists. Taiwan's United Daily reported at that time that the mainland carefully selected the members of the first team, and Taiwan was painting everywhere, "it seems that the two sides of the Strait are on a blind date.". The report predicts that mainland visitors to Taiwan will increase business opportunities of NT $60 billion (NT $1, about 0.22 yuan) and create 40000 jobs for Taiwan every year.
In 2008, 320000 mainland tourists visited Taiwan, and in 2009, it jumped to 970000, approaching the data of Japan, which has occupied the largest source country of overseas tourists in Taiwan for many years (1 million). In 2010, the number of overland passengers easily surpassed Japan with 1.63 million. In 2012, the number of Lu guests was 1.8 times that of Japan. In June of the previous year, the mainland announced the opening of residents of Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen to travel freely to Taiwan. By March 2015, a total of 47 cities in five batches had been included in the pilot list of individual tours to Taiwan by mainland residents.
1.784 million, 2.586 million, 2.874 million, 3.987 million and 4.184 million. From 2011 to 2015, mainland tourists to Taiwan continued to grow. Cross strait flights have increased rapidly at the same time. In 2009, they have rushed from the past "zero takeoff and landing" to 7741 sorties. The bustling scene reached its peak in 2015, with 77000 cross-strait flights taking off and landing at Taiwan airports throughout the year, with an average of more than 6400 flights per month.
The resulting economic benefits also exceeded the original Taiwan media's expectation of "an annual increase of 60 billion". In 2009, the contribution rate of mainland tourists to Taiwan's economic growth was 0.5%. According to the data, from 2008 to September 2012, mainland customers generated foreign exchange revenue of NT $384.4 billion for Taiwan. At that time, free travel had increased tourism revenue of NT $162.6 billion for Taiwan only more than a year after it was launched.
Taiwan's "wind media" reported that due to the strong consumption power of mainland tourists, the per capita consumption of overseas tourists in Taiwan reached US $214 for the first time in 2015, and the foreign exchange income of sightseeing on the island hit a new record of US $14.38 billion that year.
Do Taiwanese "love and hate" mainland tourists?
Ah Xue, a girl from Lugu, Nantou County, told the global times that a few years ago, when she saw the opportunity for Lu Ke to come to Taiwan, she discussed with her husband to build a two-story villa home on a piece of land at the foot of the mountain. A Xue lives on the first floor. A large number of wooden crafts and home-made tea are placed in the room. The second floor is a room for tourists. The business of B & B was once very good. Tourists scrambled to book her house. Selling tea alone could earn tens of thousands of NT dollars a day.
A Xue's comfortable life changed decisively in 2016. Nowadays, her home stay is scarce, and the tea can hardly be sold. In May 2016, Tsai ing Wen officially became the leader of Taiwan. The DPP authorities' refusal to recognize the "1992 consensus" and other practices have rapidly cooled cross-strait relations, reduced the number of mainland tourists, and Taiwan tourists complain incessantly. The number of mainland visitors decreased from more than 400 in 2015, from 3.51 million in 2016, 2.732 million in 2017 and 2.695 million in 2018, mainly group tourists. According to Taiwan's "newspaper" on July 31, the number of mainland tourists in 2016 was 1.34 million, a decrease of 35% compared with the previous year.
According to the data, the total number of tourists to Taiwan in 2018 was 11.06 million, a slight year-on-year increase of 3.05%, and the annual growth in 2017 was as low as 0.46%. However, before 2015, the growth of tourists to Taiwan in the next year basically remained above 10%, and the highest growth value reached 26.67%. Taiwan's "Wang Bao" reported earlier this year that the tourism industry estimated that after the Tsai ing Wen authorities took office, the number of mainland tourists decreased by 3.61 million, and Taiwan lost at least NT $140 billion. Over the past three years, more than 3000 Taiwan tour guides have lost their jobs due to the reduction of mainland tourists.
Taiwan's "wind media" said that in the face of the loss of mainland tourists, the Taiwan authorities successively introduced visa free or conditional visa free preferential policies for 18 countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Australia from August 2016 to the beginning of this year, which is the so-called New South policy. However, it also brings some social problems. Taking Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines as examples, the article said that although the number of visitors to Taiwan in these countries increased two to five times the year after the opening of visa free, there were many migrant workers in the name of "fake tourism". In addition, the consumption capacity of tourists in Southeast Asia is lower than that of land tourists. In 2017, Taiwan's tourism foreign exchange revenue was US $12.3 billion, a decrease of US $2 billion over 2015.
However, it is also in the past few years when the number of mainland tourists has dropped sharply that some Taiwanese people are constantly showing complex emotions about cross-strait tourism. " Taiwanese love and hate "and" voice of Germany "once said in a report that the decline of mainland tourists has made Taiwan tourists miserable, but there are many cynical remarks on the island's network, and even some voices believe that Taiwan's tourism quality can be improved. Some Taiwanese people's negative impressions of mainland tourists include making noise in public places, disobeying order, spitting everywhere, showing off their wealth and so on.
In 2016, a group of tourism posters without mainland tourists on the island's social media caused an uproar in cross-strait public opinion. This group of posters seems to be for Japanese tourists. The core content can be summarized as "mainland tourists are reduced, and you can feel a more charming and quiet Taiwan".
Zhang Yazhong, Professor of the Department of political science of Taiwan University, told the global times on August 1 that with the increasing interaction between Taiwan and the mainland, it will certainly have both positive and negative effects. Some tourists perform poorly, and they have little in-depth contact with local people, which will naturally produce some 'special things'. On the whole, however, increased communication is a good thing. Taiwanese people have gradually become familiar with and used to mainland people from strangers.
It will cause a 'decapitated' blow to the home stay industry
Last November, the Kuomintang won a big victory in Taiwan's county and mayor elections. Taiwan's "Wang Bao" said that this has rekindled hope for tourists. Yao Daguang, chairman of Taiwan Cross Strait Travel Development Association, even predicted that there would be 4 million mainland visitors to Taiwan in 2019. Data from Taiwan's immigration department and the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of communications show that the number of mainland visitors to Taiwan in the first half of this year increased by 28% over the same period last year, totalling 1.677 million. The mainland is still the largest source of overseas tourists in Taiwan, with a specific weight of 28%.
With the mainland suspending free travel, Taiwan's tourism industry will suffer a heavy blow in the second half of the year. Taiwan's "business times" said that the number of mainland group tourists and free travelers is basically the same. A travel agent said that at present, about 7000 free land travelers apply to Taiwan every day. Zheng Shengchang, vice president of the all Federation of Taiwan Hotel business associations, believes that the environmental impact of mainland tourism to Taiwan is "linkage". Now that free travel is restricted, group guests must be reduced to some extent. However, it will take time to observe how far it will fall.
Some Taiwan media estimate that the number of mainland visitors to Taiwan may drop by 700000 this year, and at least $56 billion in tourism revenue will be lost. In Nantou, Hualien, Taitung, Kenting and other scenic spots where mainland tourists travel most frequently, local people may "have no time to cry". Among them, the impact on the accommodation industry is particularly heavy. According to Taiwan's China Times on July 31, Huang Xiuhui, chairman of Taiwan's hospitable B & B Association, said that mainland individual tourists like to stay in B & B, especially in Kenting, Jiufen, Qingjing, Hualien and other places. More than half of the tourists in these areas come from the mainland. Chen Yifeng, President of Hualien County Hotel Association, said that it is rare for the mainland to suspend free travel. It is estimated that the housing rate will be "cut off" to 30% after August 10. Taiwan's "Zhongshi electronic news" quoted the accommodation industry as saying that before, the sudden drop of tourist groups only affected 30% of the accommodation industry. Now free tourists' return to zero '. The accommodation industry will be hit in an all-round way regardless of scale, grade and size,' no one can escape '.
Mainland tourists are the main consumer of Taiwan's tourism market. According to Taiwan's Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of communications, mainland tourists spend an average of $184 a day, less than $214 for Japanese tourists and $194 for Korean tourists. However, mainland tourists spend the most money on shopping every day, up to $83. South Korea is $46 and Japan is $40.
The consumption of Japanese tourists does not help ordinary vendors in Taiwan. They basically spend their money on "bulk" tourism expenses, unlike mainland tourists who like to "buy, buy and eat". The reporter of the global times once met a grandma who sold marinated eggs in the Sun Moon Lake. Her business depends entirely on the number of Lu Ke. When there are many Lu Ke, more than 10000 marinated eggs can be sold in 10 days.
Also dependent on mainland tourists are tour bus drivers who 'get up earlier than chickens, drive faster than horses, and eat worse than pigs'. Tourists like ah Xue and ah Po may just have no income, but they won't be in debt. Bus drivers are different. Many people joined the ranks of making money for land passengers by raising funds and borrowing to buy buses. These drivers have to be on duty every day, otherwise they will be in debt. Therefore, since 2016, there have been a series of news events in Taiwan that "hotels have closed down and buses have been scrapped". At present, there are about 16000 buses in Taiwan, of which as many as 3000 cannot find a driver.
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