According to Taiwan’s Tourism Administration, around 3.24 million Taiwanese visited mainland China in 2025, nearly 17 per cent more than in 2024, but still 20 per cent lower than in 2019. Taiwanese media attributes the slow post-pandemic recovery to cross-strait tensions and partial travel bans. Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te, who took office in 2024, has used strong rhetoric against Beijing, exacerbating the disruptions.
According to Taiwan’s Tourism Administration, around 3.24 million Taiwanese visited mainland China in 2025, marking nearly a 17 per cent increase from 2024. However, this figure remains 20 per cent below the 2019 pre-pandemic level. Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported on Saturday that the decline stems from worsening cross-strait relations, a ban on group tours to the mainland since 2020, and Taiwanese travellers’ preference for destinations like Japan and South Korea.
Tourism across the Taiwan Strait has faced significant disruptions in recent years due to shifting political tensions and government policies. Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te, who took office in 2024, has labelled Beijing a foreign hostile force—the strongest rhetoric from Taipei to date. In March 2025, Lai introduced 17 security measures to counter what he described as infiltration, espionage, and coercion efforts by mainland China. These developments have contributed to the strained atmosphere.
While there are signs of growth, the overall recovery lags behind pre-Covid expectations. Keywords from the report include cross-strait tensions, Fujian, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, but the focus is on the annual travel statistics.
