Travel between politically divided China and Taiwan

This article analyzes the relationship of politics and tourism between the two politically divided states: mainland China and Taiwan. It examines tourism as a low‐politics activity in influencing initial reconciliation between the two peoples and governments and discusses the current travel flows across the Taiwan Straits after the handover of Hong Kong to Mainland China. It is found that the travel development between China and Taiwan supports the revolutionary process model developed by Butler and Mao. Many obstacles remain in the development of tourism and travel between Taiwan and the mainland is greatly influenced by the changing political relations of the two governments.