Group tours to Taiwan will be resumed soon for residents from Fujian province and Shanghai in the Chinese mainland, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced on Friday.

The ministry said that preparations for the resumption of group tours are underway, and expressed hope that tourism industries on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will strengthen communication and collaboration to offer high-quality services and products for the Chinese mainland residents participating in these tours.

The decision is part of broader efforts to further normalize people-to-people exchanges and cooperation across various sectors between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. It responds to the strong desire expressed by the people and tourism industry in Taiwan and aims to enhance the welfare of people on both sides of the Strait, according to a statement published on the ministry's website.

Individual and group tours of residents from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan have been suspended for over four years. In April and August last year, the ministry resumed group tours of residents in Fujian province to Matsu and Jinmen, islands of Taiwan, respectively.

Chen Binhua, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said during a press conference on Friday that the resumption of group tours is a practical response to the desire of people on both sides of the Strait to promote exchanges and contacts.

"The resumption aligns with the shared wish of Taiwan compatriots for peace, development and increased exchanges and cooperation, which we fully support and welcome," he said.

Chen stressed that the Chinese mainland has always upheld the principle that both sides of the Strait are one family and has consistently supported the normalization of cross-Strait people-to-people exchanges, as well as cooperation in various fields, for the benefit of Taiwan compatriots.

Chen also urged Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party to acknowledge the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan and the voice from the industry.

"The DPP should lift the ban on group tours to the Chinese mainland as soon as possible, ease travel alerts for Taiwan people traveling to the mainland, and fully restore direct cross-Strait flights to help create favorable conditions for exchanges between the two sides," he said.

The ministry announced the resumption of group tours for Taiwan residents to the Chinese mainland in May 2023. However, the DPP has yet to lift the ban on group tours to the mainland, which has been in place since 2020.

In addition, the DPP upgraded the travel alert regarding the mainland to orange in June last year and has refrained from commenting on restoring direct flights between the two sides.

Li Shangyi contributed to this story.