Taipei - Taiwan opened the 2008 Taipei International Travel Fair Friday 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 booths.

China has sent a 290-strong delegation to the four-day travel fair at the Taipei World Trade Centre, hoping to boost tourism from Taiwan to China.

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 receiving 4 million foreign visitors, but so far, Taiwan has attracted 3 million.

The island is now pinning its hope on the arrival of more Chinese tour groups.

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)