Mainland China gives green light to first post-Covid group tours to Taiwan

The mainland Chinese authorities have lifted a pandemic-era ban on travel to Taiwan, allowing tour groups from Shanghai and Fujian province to visit the island.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry said preparations were “actively under way” – although there is no timetable for visits to resume – and the move would help normalise cross-strait exchanges, state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday.

All outbound group trips from mainland China, including to Taiwan, were halted at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Beijing started allowing overseas group tours again in 2023 and since then travel has resumed to most destinations, including the United States and much of Europe.

But cross-strait travel has fallen down the list of priorities as a result of ongoing political tensions between Beijing and Taipei.

In February last year, Taipei delayed a plan that could allow local agencies to organise tour groups to mainland China, citing the failure by Beijing to allow group tours to the island.