Taipei - Taiwan Friday opened its 2008 Taipei International Travel Fair with the aim of attracting more foreign and Chinese tourists.

Sixty-two countries and regions have set up 1,206 booths at the four-day fair with Chinese exhibitors occupying 256 booths, nearly four times more than the second-largest exhibitor, Japan, with 69.

China sent a 290-strong delegation to the Taipei World Trade Centre, hoping to boost its own tourism.

For its part, Taiwan has been fighting an uphill battle to stimulate the slow growth in the number of its foreign tourist arrivals.

For 2008, the Tourism Bureau had set a target of 4 million foreign visitors, 7.1 per cent higher than the 2007 figure of 3.7 million. But so far, Taiwan has attracted only 3 million.

"Visitor" refers to both foreign business visitors, foreign maids/workers and foreign students as well as foreign tourists.

Among the 3.7 million foreign visitors entering Taiwan in 2007, only 1.6 million were tourists. The island is now pinning its hope on the arrival of more Chinese tour groups.

At the fair's opening ceremony, Transport Minister Mao Chih-kuo said Taiwan-China exchanges would enter a new stage after the Taipei- Beijing dialogue next week, which will discuss expanding the weekend charter flights into daily charter flights.

Zhang Xiqin, head of the Chinese delegation, predicted that large numbers of Chinese tourists will be coming to Taiwan in the near future.

"Cross-strait tourism has gone through the hard times and entered a new stage. As more and more Chinese tourists pour into Taiwan, I am worried if Taiwan is able to accommodate all these Chinese tourists," he said.

After Ma Ying-jeou from the China-friendly Chinese Nationalist Party became president on May 20, Taiwan and China launched weekend charter flights to allow Chinese tour groups to visit Taiwan.

Taipei and Beijing were expected to sign a deal to expand the weekend charter flights to daily charter flights during talks next week in Taipei.

During the discussions, Taiwan and China were expected to sign four pacts - on direct sea links, direct postal service, expansion of charter flights and food safety. (dpa)