Online travel service firms Ctrip and ezTravel have teamed up to offer holidays across the Taiwan Straits.

Ctrip International Ltd, the biggest online travel service firm on the mainland, and ezTravel Co Ltd, its counterpart in Taiwan, formed a strategic alliance yesterday in Beijing.

"Many people are very interested in going to the 'island of treasure'," said James Liang, CEO of Shanghai-based Ctrip. "Now, with the partnership with ezTravel, we are ready to launch the services, as soon as the authorities give approval."

Yesterday, Ctrip launched several tourist routes from five mainland cities to Taiwan on its website, in cooperation with ezTravel.

Tour prices range from more than 6,000 yuan (US$720) to 19,000 yuan (US$2,290).

The Taiwanese online travel service firm is renowned for its hotel and ticket booking resources, as well as experience in online services.

The company also operates the only round-the-island luxury train tour on Taiwan, which is a popular attraction.

But the tourism industries on both sides are still waiting for the green light from the Taiwanese authorities for unrestricted tours.

Tourists cannot travel directly from the mainland to the island. There are no restrictions on visitors going to Taiwan from the mainland, but the Taiwanese authorities have not made final arrangements on their side. In May it was announced that the maximum number of tourists would be 1,000.

Despite that, enthusiasm from mainlanders was so great that on May 24, the first day reservations could be made, more than 300 Beijing residents made applications to travel agencies and more than 1,000 jet-setters telephoned travel service companies in Guangzhou.

Jennifer Lan, senior manager of vacation products at Ctrip, said: "If we look at the demand for the near future, it may not be very huge, but when the policies come out, Taiwan will be a hot choice."

Jim Sun, a Shanghai-based Internet industry analyst, also agreed on the significance of the partnership, but said tours will mainly bring political gains, while economic benefits may not be very big.

On the other hand, the pair will be able to tap the market for trips to the mainland.

Lan said 7 million Taiwanese visit the mainland every year, and about one tenth of them are ezTravel customers. About 80 per cent go on package tours.

After partnering with Ctrip, ezTravel's package tour customers will be accommodated by Ctrip on the mainland.

(China Daily June 8, 2005)