Taiwan: New criteria for Chinese tour groups

Effective 1st October, high quality package tours targeting Chinese nationals may only include one shopping stop in Taiwan. Stops in third jurisdictions such as Hong Kong and Macau forbidden

Taiwan has implemented new criteria for ‘high quality’ tour packages for Chinese tourists that will restrict the number of shopping stops the tours are allowed to make and govern their transportation.

The criteria, effective 1st October, mandates that high-quality tour packages targeting Chinese nationals may only include one shopping stop during their stay in Taiwan. In addition, such tourists must arrive on direct flights without stops in third jurisdictions such as Hong Kong or Macau.

Of the daily limit of 5,000 Chinese nationals allowed to travel to Taiwan on tour groups, half of the quota is reserved for those joining tours considered to be higher in quality. These tourists are also given priority for obtaining permits to enter Taiwan. To meet the definition of high quality, activities scheduled for the tourists must not exceed 12 hours per day, and the tour buses carrying the tourists cannot cover more than 250 kilometres per day.