Shanghai residents apply for travel endorsements to Kinmen and Mastu at the Exit-Entry Service Hall of the Changning District Branch of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau on May 13, 2026. Photo: VCG

The first group of Shanghai tourists has arrived in Kinmen and begun their journey following Shanghai's resumption of travel programs to Kinmen and Matsu, Kinmen local travel regulator confirmed with the Global Times on Wednesday. This marks a new step in the gradual recovery of cross-Straits tourism exchanges, as relevant authorities and tourism industry representatives on both sides move to facilitate more travel.

On April 29, the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism announced that Shanghai residents can apply for group and individual tours to Kinmen and Matsu, effective that same day. Residents may register with qualified travel agencies in Shanghai and East China's Fujian Province and apply to the local exit-entry administration authorities for travel endorsements, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

Speaking at a tourism promotion event themed "Shanghai Meets Kinmen, Endless Excitement," in Shanghai on Tuesday, Zhang Qi, executive vice president of the Shanghai Tourism Trade Association, said Kinmen's unique island scenery and Minnan cultural heritage are drawing growing attention from Shanghai visitors as tourism exchanges across the Taiwan Straits continue to recover.

The first Shanghai tourism industry inspection delegation visited Kinmen on April 27, while the first group of Shanghai tourists arrived in Kinmen on Monday, said Kinmen County Deputy Magistrate Chen Hsiang-lin said at the event.

Chen said that the event aims to further strengthen ties between Kinmen and Shanghai, welcoming more Shanghai residents to learn about and visit Kinmen. The convenient travel route to Kinmen via Xiamen is not only a tourism corridor, but also a bond that connects people and brings cultures closer together.

According to a readout provided to the Global Times on Wednesday from the tourism department of Kinmen, the first Shanghai tourist group, consisting of four travelers and one tour guide from Xiamen, arrived at Kinmen's Shuitou Pier via the "Mini Three Links" ferry service. 

The "Mini Three Links" ferry service is a major cross-Straits passenger route connecting Xiamen and Kinmen, having transported more than 23.5 million passengers since its launch in 2001, according to official records.

Kinmen's tourism department said that the first tourist group mainly consists of middle-aged and elderly travelers who are drawn to cultural experiences, slow-paced tourism, and the island's distinctive nostalgic atmosphere. The department made the statement in response to an inquiry from the Global Times on Wednesday.

Following the Shanghai promotion event, inquiries and cooperation discussions for future tour groups have continued to increase, per the department. 

Taiwan media outlets have been closely following the development, with coverage from CNA and "China Times" of the Shanghai tourism industry inspection delegation's April visit, UDN reported Wednesday afternoon that the Kinmen authorities confirmed the arrival of the Shanghai tourist group.

Shanghai has started to process applications for both individual and group travel permits for trips to Kinmen and Matsu, with eligible Shanghai residents able to apply in both Shanghai and Fujian, according to the Government Affairs of Exit-Entry Administration of Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Shanghai also released a list of designated travel agencies for trips to Kinmen and Matsu, with a total of 12 travel agencies currently providing related services. 

The Kinmen local authorities said they will continue coordinating with relevant parties and following cross-Straits policy developments to attract more tourists from mainland cities, expand "Mini Three Links" ferry services, and further promote tourism and local economic development through what they described as a "cross-Straits peace route," according to the readout. 

The Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism's April 29 arrangement on travel to Kinmen and Matsu was a concrete step in implementing the outcomes of the think tank forum co-hosted by research institutes affiliated with the Communist Party of China and the Chinese Kuomintang Party in February, said Zhang Han, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council at a regular press conference on Wednesday. 

The spokesperson said tourism industry representatives from both sides have recently begun mutual visits and inspection tours to pave the way for future cross-Straits tourism exchanges and cooperation. She added that the mainland has already announced plans to promote the resumption of pilot programs for individual travel to Taiwan island by residents of Shanghai and Fujian, and expressed hope that the Taiwan side would respond to public opinion, reopen at an early date, and create conditions for normalizing cross-Straits exchanges across various fields.