探訪台灣中國遊客持續增加

Recently the NHK News reported the following:
去年１年間に中国本土から台湾を訪れた旅行客は１６０万人を超え、過去４３年間、台湾を訪れる外国人としては最も多かった日本からの旅行客を上回り、中国と台湾の関係改善を反映する形となりました。
台湾の観光局によりますと、中国本土から台湾を訪れる旅行客は、２年半前に団体旅行が解禁されて以来、増え続けており、去年はおととしと比べて７０％近く増え、１６３万人を超えました。過去４３年間、台湾を訪れる外国人としては最も多かった日本からの旅行客も、円高などの影響で８％近く増え、１０８万人に上りましたが、中国本土からの旅行客が初めて、それを上回りました。３年前、台湾に国民党の馬英九政権が誕生して以来、中国と台湾の関係改善が進んでおり、中国本土から台湾への旅行客の急増は、そうした流れを反映したものです。台湾当局は、ことし、中国本土の富裕層を対象に個人旅行を解禁することも検討しており、今後双方の交流が一層活発になるものとみられます。
Last year for the whole year, the number of tourists from mainland China to visit Taiwan exceeded 1.6 million, more than the number of tourists from Japan that had been the number one in the past 43 years, and this became a reflection of the improvement in relationship between China and Taiwan.
According to the Sightseeing Bureau in Taiwan, the number of tourists who visited Taiwan from mainland China kept increasing after the ban on package-tour was lifted two and a half years ago; and last year it increased by about 70% when compared with the year before last, with a total exceeding 1.63 million people. In the past 43 years, the greatest number of tourists was from Japan, although due to the influence of yen appreciation etc, the number had increased by about 8% up to 1.08 million people, the number of tourists from mainland China exceeded it for the first time. In Taiwan three years ago after Ma Yingjiu's political National Party came to power, relations between China and Taiwan had shown improvement, and it was reflected in the rapid increase in tourists from mainland China to Taiwan. This year, Taiwanese authorities were considering the opening up of independent-tour for the well-to-do people in mainland China, and it was expected that exchanges between the two parties would become more active in the future.

More tourists from mainland China will mean more business for Taiwan. Should the KMT fail in the election next year, I hope exchanges between people in China and Taiwan could continue without interruption.