"Residents of Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province, may be able to visit Taiwan independently next year," said Fu Yingchun, director of the Guizhou Tourism Bureau, at the Guizhou-Taiwan Cooperation Conference on Economy & Trade held in Guiyang on Tuesday.

Taiwan has become a major source of tourists visiting Guizhou. In 2012, 192,300 Taiwan visitors chose Guizhou as a tour destination, making up 27.28 percent of all tourists visiting Guizhou in 2012.

Currently, packaged tours are the most popular method for tourists to travel between Guizhou and Taiwan. As many as five travel agencies are qualified to organize packaged tours, but independent travel is still a dream for many Guizhou people.

Fu said, “More tourism promotion campaigns are needed, as they help tourists learn more about scenic spots, culture, food and products in Guizhou. At the same time, more and more Taiwan people can get information about Guizhou’s development and changes through this platform.”