Source: Want China Times 【Correspondent: Pei-Jyun Huang/Taipei】
Released on: 09/05/2013

On September 3, the Vice Premier of the Executive Yuan, Chi-kuo Mao, indicated that owing to low profit margins and the loose standards of mainland Chinese tourist groups to Taiwan, a daily quota of 5,000 mainland Chinese tourists to Taiwan would not be adjusted for some time. He stated the access for mainland Chinese tourist groups to visit Taiwan would be: "Leave it there”. A further increase in the quota would not likely be possible. Meanwhile the policy objective of tourism to Taiwan for mainland Chinese citizens would shift to quality tour groups and self-guided tourists.
Regarding the recent concerns about numerous medical cosmetic mainland tourists overstaying in Taiwan, he asserted that current stricter inspections were already taking place. The objective was to shift to mainland tourist groups that were interested in higher standards of physical examinations. The phenomenon of medical cosmetic tourist groups leaving a meager amount of NT$1,000 and skipping out would not likely occur.
Chi-kuo Mao stated in an interview that there were 115 cases of overstaying tourists among the mainland Chinese tourist groups that had been on medical cosmetic tours. The National Immigration Agency had since revised related regulations to more stringent measures for physical examinations and medical cosmetic tourist groups. He remarked that as price tags for sole medical cosmetic procedures were relatively low, the best countermeasure was to focus on promoting mainland Chinese physical examination tourist groups. As the price tags for a medical service and sightseeing tour started from roughly ten thousand NT dollars and above, the phenomenon of medical cosmetic tourist groups leaving a meager amount of NT$1,000 and skipping out would not likely occur. Moreover, this caliber of consumer was more stable as the consumers would be almost certain to return annually.
Additionally, he commented that owing to the low profit margins, a daily quota of 5,000 mainland Chinese tourists to Taiwan would not likely be increased. The government was shifting the policy objective to quality tour groups and self-guided tourists while developing other sources. He stressed, "We will let them visit Taiwan as long as they are quality tour groups." In the meantime he is working on exchange promotions with mainland Chinese provinces that are open to self-guided tourists. He believed self-guided mainland Chinese tourists would more likely shop in Taiwan-funded businesses.