Taiwan travel agencies prepare for mainland tourists

As Taiwan is to open its door to tourists from the Chinese mainland this July, many local travel agencies are gearing up to accommodate the influx of mainland visitors.

Lian Yuqing is the head of a local travel agency. She estimates that the Sun Moon Lake and Ali Mountain in central part of the island will be the most popular destinations for travelers.

"So far, most of the details have been fixed, and we hope political barriers could be removed as soon as possible."

Late last month, Taiwan's newly-elected leader Ma Ying-jeou promised that Taiwan would accept 3,000 mainland visitors every day starting in July, and that number will double within two years.

The move is expected to help the local tourism sector make 2 billion US dollars in revenues this year alone.