BEIJING, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China Daily:

A total of 79 tourism industry representatives from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan gathered in Hainan on Sept 25 — the Mid-Autumn Festival — together with their counterparts from the island province to turn a new page in cross-Strait cultural and tourism cooperation.

Thirty-three guests were from China's Taiwan region, accounting for over 60 percent of the specially invited delegation and forming a core presence at the event. They represented leading industry bodies including the Travel Agent Association of Taiwan and the Taiwan Self-Drive Travel Association.

They undertook a seven-day, in-depth, round-island inspection tour of Hainan's tourism sites, marking the longest route and the richest itinerary of the program.

Rising market figures underscore keen interest from Taiwan's travel trade in Hainan. In the first eight months of this year, the province received 181,800 inbound visits from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and visits from Taiwan alone stood at 44,000. In 2024, Hainan registered 29,200 overnight visits from Taiwan.

Air connectivity took centre stage during panel discussions. Wu Ying-liang, chairman of the Travel Agent Association of Taiwan, has nearly four decades of experience in the sector and has witnessed Hainan's transformation firsthand.

Hainan and Taiwan share similar climates, he said, making the island a year-round destination for Taiwanese visitors, while its healthcare and wellness facilities also hold strong appeal. He called on the two sides to work together on themed tourism products and promote two-way travel flows.

He acknowledged, however, that while arrivals from Taiwan keep climbing, growth has not kept pace with that of the 2017-19 period, with limited flight capacity standing as the main constraint.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, direct passenger flights linked Taipei and Kaohsiung with Haikou, as well as Taipei and Sanya. All services were suspended in 2020 amid the pandemic and other factors, and none have resumed to date.

Taiwanese visitors travelling to Hainan now mostly transit via Hong Kong, and lengthy layovers have dampened the appetite for travel and affected the travel experience. "Restoring direct flights and improving accessibility will undoubtedly bring more Taiwanese visitors to Hainan," Wu said.

Wey Rong-jinn, chairman of Dollar Travel based in Taiwan's Kaohsiung, examined the opportunity from a niche-market perspective. Before the pandemic, he recalled, direct flights from Kaohsiung to Hainan took only around two hours. Hainan's mild winters and high-standard golf courses unlock great potential for golf tourism, he said.

According to incomplete statistics from the Chinese Taipei Golf Association, Taiwan is home to more than one million golf enthusiasts, most of whom travel to Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia for golf trips.

Should direct flights between Hainan and Taiwan resume, Wey suggested, this pool of golfers could be diverted to Hainan, unlocking substantial new business. "Even attracting 10,000 to 20,000 golfers in the initial phase would produce a remarkable effect," he noted.

Chen Yi-hsuah, chairwoman of the Taipei Association of Travel Agents, shared practical ideas on leveraging the Mid-Autumn Festival as a seasonal tourism brand.

She sees Hainan as an ideal destination for family reunions during the festival, thanks to its pleasant climate and festive vibe. Cycling and heavy-motorcycle self-drive tours could be developed to cater specifically to corporate clientele from Taiwan, she added.

While showcasing Hainan's tourism strengths, the Taiwanese delegation also voiced hope that the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports would press ahead with plans for cultural tourism study tours to Taiwan, to further strengthen exchanges across the Strait.