Dai Bin | The industry joins hands to bring tourists to both sides of the Taiwan Strait

The industry joins hands to closely weave tourists to travel across the Taiwan Straits - Special speech at the online symposium on cross-strait tourism exchanges (September 15, 2020, Beijing-Taipei) Dai Bin, President of the China Tourism Academy

Dear President Lai, Ms. Sezhen, and Vice President Man, Mr. Hongwei,

Fellow colleagues in the tourism industry on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Good afternoon! The moment I received the list of participants last week, my heart was no longer calm. Seeing the names that I haven't seen for several years but still miss, I couldn't help but hug and greet: Professor Shen and Ms. Guanya, you have taught many students all over the world, are you still leading the future with your travel vision? Chairman Xu Yangzhe, the quality of Taiwan's travel industry is getting better and better, which is enough to comfort my life. Chairman Yao Changguang, you are enthusiastic about public welfare and have been working for cross-strait tourism exchanges for many years, and you always have a chivalrous spirit. I will go to Taipei to see you after the epidemic, tie your horse to the high building, and drink three hundred cups, how about it? When old friends meet, they naturally have to reminisce about the past. We are all promoters and witnesses of the normalization of cross-strait tourism exchanges and the opening of individual travel. The difficulties and twists and turns are hard to describe in one word, but all parties are concerned about the well-being of people's travel, seek common ground while reserving differences, and strive to promote the scale of cross-strait tourism exchanges and the level of industrial cooperation to a high level. In 2015, the number of tourists from Taiwan residents visiting the mainland was 5.4986 million, and it has been rising steadily ever since, reaching 6.1342 million in 2019, a record high. In the past five years, the number of mainland residents traveling to Taiwan has generally been stable with a slight decline, but it began to recover in 2018 and continued to grow year-on-year in 2019, reaching 2.9793 million. Tourism is a highly market-oriented field that requires the promotion of commercial forces and the support of authoritative institutions and industry leaders. We are very pleased to see that from the ice-breaking journey of group travel to the "thorough travel" of individual tourists, to the quality assurance of smart tourism, the Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Association and the Taiwan Tourism Exchange Association have always maintained close strategic communication, in-depth professional interaction, and fruitful strategic operations. Looking back on the journey we have taken over the years, we should remember Chairman Shao Qiwei, Chairman Lai Sezhen, Executive Chairman Du Jiang, Executive Chairman Xie Weijun, and all those who have worked hard for cross-strait tourism exchanges and cooperation, pay tribute to the past, and imagine the future. At present, the prevention and control of the epidemic in the mainland has achieved important phased results. On July 14, the tourism administrative department officially issued a notice to resume cross-provincial tourism business, opening a new stage of full resumption of work and business. A special survey by the China Tourism Research Institute shows that despite the huge impact of the epidemic, more than 95% of the respondents said they would not leave the travel service industry. As of the end of August, 60% of travel agencies have resumed work and business, of which about 30% of travel agencies have recovered to 30-50% of the same period last year. Affected by the law of consumer confidence recovery and the requirements of epidemic prevention and control, leisure vacations around cities, cross-province tourism within the province, self-driving tourism and customized tourism are the focus of market demand and the focus of business innovation. We also noticed that at the China International Fair for Trade in Services held in Beijing last week, the Capital Airport resumed regular direct flights to eight countries, which means that the policy of orderly resumption of inbound and outbound tourism business may have special research and professional reserves. 2020 is the year of the conclusion of the mainland's "13th Five-Year Plan" tourism development plan, and it is also the year of planning and layout for promoting high-quality development of the tourism industry in the "14th Five-Year Plan". Whether it is post-epidemic revitalization or high-quality development, enhancing the tourism welfare of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and expanding the cooperation space between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are realistic issues that require our in-depth thinking and clear answers. To this end, the China National Tourism Administration and Taiwan's industry organizations need to maintain closer interaction and carry out special research, coordination and implementation on matters such as post-epidemic market recovery, professional exchanges, quality assurance, industry supervision and policy innovation. The past five years have been five years in which the scale of cross-strait tourism exchanges has grown year by year, five years in which tourism industry cooperation has continued to deepen, and five years in which tourist satisfaction has steadily increased. In 2015, the satisfaction index of mainland residents traveling to Taiwan was 78.17 points, ranking 11th among the 27 sample destination countries and regions in the world. In 2019, the satisfaction index of mainland tourists rose to 81.72 points, ranking 14th in the world, and continued to maintain an upper-middle level. Judging from the online comment indicators, mainland tourists' evaluation of the attitude of local residents in Taiwan, accommodation, and attractions all exceeded 85 points, and the evaluation dimensions of transportation, catering, and cost-effectiveness were also at a good level of 80-85 points. Over the past decade, tens of millions of mainland tourists have visited Taipei's landmark buildings. "The Taipei 101 building is a must-see landmark in Taipei. I've been watching Taiwanese idol dramas since I was a kid, and I've always been obsessed with this Taipei building. I climbed up to the observatory at sunset, and I saw the sunset, the lights coming on, and the night falling. It was a long-cherished wish." They went to Jiufen Old Street, "sat in a small shop with a window overlooking the mountain view, and enjoyed afternoon tea or a full meal, taking a break while enjoying the beautiful scenery." They went to Kenting Street, "What I can't forget are the big-headed prawns and QQ egg milk. A small cup costs less than 10 yuan, and the milky flavor and the chewy pearls really make me drink it so much that I can't stop." They went to Shilin Tourist Night Market, "B1 has a very warm and noisy feeling, and the air is filled with the aroma of various foods, which is the taste of 'delicious'." They shared on social platforms over and over again, "Taiwanese compatriots give people a very kind, optimistic, and positive feeling, full of positive energy. The vendors give people the feeling that they just set up a stall just to come out and chat with everyone." During the tour, the mainland people appreciated the beautiful scenery from Alishan to Taroko, experienced the wonderful life from Cloud Gate Dance Theatre to Din Tai Fung Baozi, understood that "human connection is the best travel", and improved their happiness index and civilization through tourism. Fully guarantee the welfare of people's tourism, adhere to tourists-oriented, host-guest sharing and community participation, adhere to market entities, platform co-construction and rule consultation. In the past ten years, we have thought so and done so. The experience accumulated by cross-strait tourism exchanges should and must become the concept of inheritance and promotion for future tourism development. During the tour, Taiwanese tourists are also feeling the changes in the mainland. These changes include the improvement of transportation infrastructure such as airports, high-speed railways, and highways, as well as the convenience of mobile communications, 5G, the Internet and mobile payments. Tourists will also go to supermarkets. "Friends who come to the mainland to travel say that fruits in the mainland are particularly cheap. I went to the supermarket to take a look. Maotao is 2.38 yuan per catty, Kyoho grapes are 3 yuan per catty, and watermelons are 1 yuan per catty. I took a bunch of bananas for only 6 yuan. It's really cheap. I thought it was a charity." Some tourists also said in interviews that many mainlanders are relatively wealthy and well-educated. When riding on public transportation, they will give way to the elderly, weak and women. The prosperity of the mainland is surprising, and there are relatively large development opportunities. Since ancient times, the Chinese have had the fine tradition of "reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles", and traveling abroad is especially desirable. It is better to see the scenery than to hear about it, and it is better to see it once than to hear about it. The ancients were not deceiving me. In the early spring of 2015, I went to Ming Chuan University for academic exchanges. Five years have passed. Like many mainland friends, I want to go again, and I would rather go often. History has and will continue to prove that this shallow strait is for crossing, not for dividing. The epidemic will eventually be defeated, and any man-made obstacles will eventually be eliminated. As long as the tourism industry joins hands to weave a dense network and build a platform together, the dream of people on both sides of the strait to travel thoroughly and share quality life will become a reality.Fellow colleagues in the tourism industry on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Good afternoon! The moment I received the list of participants last week, my heart was no longer calm. Seeing the names that I haven't seen for several years but still miss, I couldn't help but hug and greet: Professor Shen and Ms. Guanya, you have taught many students all over the world, are you still leading the future with your travel vision? Chairman Xu Yangzhe, the quality of Taiwan's travel industry is getting better and better, which is enough to comfort my life. Chairman Yao Changguang, you are enthusiastic about public welfare and have been working for cross-strait tourism exchanges for many years, and you always have a chivalrous spirit. I will go to Taipei to see you after the epidemic, tie your horse to the high building, and drink three hundred cups, how about it? When old friends meet, they naturally have to reminisce about the past. We are all promoters and witnesses of the normalization of cross-strait tourism exchanges and the opening of individual travel. The difficulties and twists and turns are hard to describe in one word, but all parties are concerned about the well-being of people's travel, seek common ground while reserving differences, and strive to promote the scale of cross-strait tourism exchanges and the level of industrial cooperation to a high level. In 2015, the number of tourists from Taiwan residents visiting the mainland was 5.4986 million, and it has been rising steadily ever since, reaching 6.1342 million in 2019, a record high. In the past five years, the number of mainland residents traveling to Taiwan has generally been stable with a slight decline, but it began to recover in 2018 and continued to grow year-on-year in 2019, reaching 2.9793 million. Tourism is a highly market-oriented field that requires the promotion of commercial forces and the support of authoritative institutions and industry leaders. We are very pleased to see that from the ice-breaking journey of group travel to the "thorough travel" of individual tourists, to the quality assurance of smart tourism, the Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Association and the Taiwan Tourism Exchange Association have always maintained close strategic communication, in-depth professional interaction, and fruitful strategic operations. Looking back on the journey we have taken over the years, we should remember Chairman Shao Qiwei, Chairman Lai Sezhen, Executive Chairman Du Jiang, Executive Chairman Xie Weijun, and all those who have worked hard for cross-strait tourism exchanges and cooperation, pay tribute to the past, and imagine the future. At present, the prevention and control of the epidemic in the mainland has achieved important phased results. On July 14, the tourism administrative department officially issued a notice to resume cross-provincial tourism business, opening a new stage of full resumption of work and business. A special survey by the China Tourism Research Institute shows that despite the huge impact of the epidemic, more than 95% of the respondents said they would not leave the travel service industry. As of the end of August, 60% of travel agencies have resumed work and business, of which about 30% of travel agencies have recovered to 30-50% of the same period last year. Affected by the law of consumer confidence recovery and the requirements of epidemic prevention and control, leisure vacations around cities, cross-province tourism within the province, self-driving tourism and customized tourism are the focus of market demand and the focus of business innovation. We also noticed that at the China International Fair for Trade in Services held in Beijing last week, the Capital Airport resumed regular direct flights to eight countries, which means that the policy of orderly resumption of inbound and outbound tourism business may have special research and professional reserves. 2020 is the year of the conclusion of the mainland's "13th Five-Year Plan" tourism development plan, and it is also the year of planning and layout for promoting high-quality development of the tourism industry in the "14th Five-Year Plan". Whether it is post-epidemic revitalization or high-quality development, enhancing the tourism welfare of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and expanding the cooperation space between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are realistic issues that require our in-depth thinking and clear answers. To this end, the China National Tourism Administration and Taiwan's industry organizations need to maintain closer interaction and carry out special research, coordination and implementation on matters such as post-epidemic market recovery, professional exchanges, quality assurance, industry supervision and policy innovation. The past five years have been five years in which the scale of cross-strait tourism exchanges has grown year by year, five years in which tourism industry cooperation has continued to deepen, and five years in which tourist satisfaction has steadily increased. In 2015, the satisfaction index of mainland residents traveling to Taiwan was 78.17 points, ranking 11th among the 27 sample destination countries and regions in the world. In 2019, the satisfaction index of mainland tourists rose to 81.72 points, ranking 14th in the world, and continued to maintain an upper-middle level. Judging from the online comment indicators, mainland tourists' evaluation of the attitude of local residents in Taiwan, accommodation, and attractions all exceeded 85 points, and the evaluation dimensions of transportation, catering, and cost-effectiveness were also at a good level of 80-85 points. Over the past decade, tens of millions of mainland tourists have visited Taipei's landmark buildings. "The Taipei 101 building is a must-see landmark in Taipei. I've been watching Taiwanese idol dramas since I was a kid, and I've always been obsessed with this Taipei building. I climbed up to the observatory at sunset, and I saw the sunset, the lights coming on, and the night falling. It was a long-cherished wish." They went to Jiufen Old Street, "sat in a small shop with a window overlooking the mountain view, and enjoyed afternoon tea or a full meal, taking a break while enjoying the beautiful scenery." They went to Kenting Street, "What I can't forget are the big-headed prawns and QQ egg milk. A small cup costs less than 10 yuan, and the milky flavor and the chewy pearls really make me drink it so much that I can't stop." They went to Shilin Tourist Night Market, "B1 has a very warm and noisy feeling, and the air is filled with the aroma of various foods, which is the taste of 'delicious'." They shared on social platforms over and over again, "Taiwanese compatriots give people a very kind, optimistic, and positive feeling, full of positive energy. The vendors give people the feeling that they just set up a stall just to come out and chat with everyone." During the tour, the mainland people appreciated the beautiful scenery from Alishan to Taroko, experienced the wonderful life from Cloud Gate Dance Theatre to Din Tai Fung Baozi, understood that "human connection is the best travel", and improved their happiness index and civilization through tourism. Fully guarantee the welfare of people's tourism, adhere to tourists-oriented, host-guest sharing and community participation, adhere to market entities, platform co-construction and rule consultation. In the past ten years, we have thought so and done so. The experience accumulated by cross-strait tourism exchanges should and must become the concept of inheritance and promotion for future tourism development. During the tour, Taiwanese tourists are also feeling the changes in the mainland. These changes include the improvement of transportation infrastructure such as airports, high-speed railways, and highways, as well as the convenience of mobile communications, 5G, the Internet and mobile payments. Tourists will also go to supermarkets. "Friends who come to the mainland to travel say that fruits in the mainland are particularly cheap. I went to the supermarket to take a look. Maotao is 2.38 yuan per catty, Kyoho grapes are 3 yuan per catty, and watermelons are 1 yuan per catty. I took a bunch of bananas for only 6 yuan. It's really cheap. I thought it was a charity." Some tourists also said in interviews that many mainlanders are relatively wealthy and well-educated. When riding on public transportation, they will give way to the elderly, weak and women. The prosperity of the mainland is surprising, and there are relatively large development opportunities. Since ancient times, the Chinese have had the fine tradition of "reading thousands of books and traveling thousands of miles", and traveling abroad is especially desirable. It is better to see the scenery than to hear about it, and it is better to see it once than to hear about it. The ancients were not deceiving me. In the early spring of 2015, I went to Ming Chuan University for academic exchanges. Five years have passed. Like many mainland friends, I want to go again, and I would rather go often. History has and will continue to prove that this shallow strait is for crossing, not for dividing. The epidemic will eventually be defeated, and any man-made obstacles will eventually be eliminated. As long as the tourism industry joins hands to weave a dense network and build a platform together, the dream of people on both sides of the strait to travel thoroughly and share quality life will become a reality.