Residents in Guangdong Province are no longer required to pay a refundable deposit for tourist trips to Taiwan island. The decision to relax the rules was made as there have been no cases of illegal stays in Taiwan since the island opened to Chinese mainland tourists.

Some travel agencies in Guangdong have decided to stop requesting deposits. Mainland tourists to Taiwan have so far had to pay 50 thousand yuan or more to ensure they return. This has made many potential travellers hesitate to book trips. Guangdong Province is trying to set up guarantee schemes and cooperate with banks. Travel agencies say the deposit exemption may increase tourist trips to Taiwan by more than 30 percent.

Chen Zhichao, Deputy GM of Nanhu International Travel Agency said "In the past year, there's been no cases of illegal stay or illegal labor. I believe that we can now cut or cancel the deposit."

Chinese mainland tourists have made over 360 thousand trips to Taiwan in the past year. And, Taiwan's tourism departments have increased their tourism options, offering more trips around the island and more in depth regional tours and theme tours.

Wang Chunbao, Director of Taiwan Tourism Bureau said "Unlike quick tours, we are promoting in depth tours with themes. Visitors can relax and enjoy these trips instead of travelling in a hurry."

Travel agencies are also developing new products. Some agencies are promoting a wider variety of tours for the summer vacation.