Strait News held a roundtable discussion by experts on a string of policies seeking to stimulate tourism in the free trade zone (FTZ) in Fujian province.

In a statement, the State Tourism Administration (STA) said it will support duty-free shopping in the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone, where overseas tourists can get tax rebates on departure.

Other highlights include allowing joint and foreign-fundedagencies in Fujian’s FTZ to carry out overseas tourism business. Certified tour guides from Taiwan will be allowed to work in Fujian.

The following are some of their remarks and predictions:

Traditional and local travel agencies will have fierce competition from foreign-funded agencies with an advantage in overseas tour. They will have to appeal to more professionals in the industry, said an insider with China Travel Service.

Taiwan tour guides are more experienced than their mainland counterparts, which will help them improve service and personal quality, he said.

The duty-free shopping policy in Pingtan is exciting news, said Wu Jinlin, director of the tourism school at Minjiang University. He predicted that it will become one of the most appealing destinations and will move Pingtan closer to its goal as an international tourist island.

Wu also hailed the decision to cultivate tourism in the FTZ by integrating medical care, entertainment, professional education and tourism. He cited South Korea as an example of cosmetic medicine propelling tourism.

The SAT statement also mentions facilitating customs clearance and relaxing visa procedures,such as visa-free transit and longer stopovers in FTZs.

Huang Maoxing, deputy dean of economics at the Fujian Normal University, said the policy will definitely draw more tourists, and that authorities can roll out more tourism programs in accordance with a growing tourist flow.

Huang also advised innovation on tourism-related financial products and making use of the FTZ’s advantages in foreign exchange to create more benefits for tourists.