China reduces number of tourists to Taiwan in 2016
Context
China imposed an unofficial measure reducing the number of its tourists in Taiwan in 2016. One Asia Times article reportedly suggested that Beijing decided to bring down these tourism numbers from 3.85 million in 2015 to a target of only two million in 2016.
In May 2015 Reuters quoted a tour agent in mainland China as saying that “(China’s) National Tourism Administration told us in February and March to cut the number of tourists we send to Taiwan”, adding that “[f]rom Xiamen (city) the number of tourists has fallen sharply, down more than 50 percent”. Chinese government officials denied any such measure, instead blaming Taiwan for paperwork issues reducing tourism numbers. This followed the inauguration of independence-leaning Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in May 2015. This measure was never officially announced, but were reported as being imposed in the broader context of post-election hostility directed against Taiwan by Beijing, which included other high-pressure measures including military drills.
Impact
Reporting from the time of the January 2016 presidential election in Taiwan claimed that Chinese tourism numbers had “halved” in the months running up to the election. Already in October 2015 a Chinese government spokesperson had suggested that January’s elections were off-putting to tourists from mainland China, due to the “highly-politicised” environment. Subsequent reports citing government data showed that, compared to the previous year, the numbers of Chinese tourists were down 15% in July 2016, and that in the seven months since President Tsai’s inauguration numbers were down 36.2%.
Responses
(i) Taiwanese Industry
The head of industry group National Joint Association of Tourist Buses, Lu Shiao-ya, told press in May 2015 that“Chinese tourists took about 4,000 tour buses a month this time around last year, but now it’s only 2,800”. In September 2016, Taiwan’s tourism industry staged protests of around 10,000 attendees against their own government in response to this measure, in which they called upon the Tsai government to recognise the “one China” principle, and to offer more support for the tourism industry. A spokesperson for one of the organisers of this protest, the Travel Agent Association, told press that “[w]e don’t want to get into the political issues, but we’re suffering and we’ll suffer even more in the next three to six months,” and added that “[t]he government has to help us through this tough time”. The signs and banners being held by protesters included those stating “we ask for jobs”, and “no jobs, no life”.
(ii) Taiwanese Government
In September 2016, the Taiwanese government committed around US$960 million to boost its domestic tourism industry in the form of preferred loans. Acknowledging the fall in tourism numbers in December 2016, a Taiwanese government official – Deputy Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council Chiu Chiu-cheng – said that “Taiwan will maintain its policy of welcoming mainland Chinese tourists,” while also recognising that that “due to political factors that impact mainland tourists coming to Taiwan, our government will plan for the worst and prepare for the best.”
Status
According to government data, tourism numbers began to stabilise in late 2017. However, in August 2019 a similar measure was enacted by Beijing that suspended the issuance of individual licenses for mainland tourists to visit Taiwan.
References
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