Asia One News Network
Date: Sep 12, 2016
By: Reuters
TAIPEI – About 10,000 Taiwan tourism operators and workers marched to a square in front of the
Representatives of the Taiwanese tourism industry take part in a march calling for the government to tackle the falling number of Chinese tourists. Photo: Reuters
presidential hall on Monday to demand that the government take steps to help their businesses, hard hit by worsening ties with mainland China.
Relations between the self-ruled island and the mainland, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province, have become strained since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in May.
The mainland does not trust Tsai and is fearful her Democratic Progressive Party will push for independence for the island, an idea that is anathema to Beijing.
Government figures show arrivals from China fell 15 percent year on year in July and fell again in August.
The sector was also hit by a fire on a bus in July that killed 24 mainland tourists on their way to the island’s main airport to fly home. [FULL STORY]