The number of mainland tourists visiting Taiwan has declined sharply before and after the island's leadership election in January, which Democratic Progressive Party leader Tsai Ing-wen has won.

About half of the sightseeing buses on the island have not been booked during the past two months or so. Also, popular local scenic spots such as the Sun Moon Lake and Ali Mountain seem to have lost their magic in attracting more visitors from the other side of the Taiwan Straits. No wonder some observers are worried about Taiwan's tourism being dealt a blow - especially to hotels, restaurants and airlines - because of the possible changes in future cross-Straits relations. After all, the number of mainland visitors serves as a major barometer for Taiwan's tourism sector.

Peaceful cross-Straits relations and the island's opening-up policies, as incumbent Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou said on Feb 19, are important for the fast growth of the tourism sector. Mainland visitors accounted for about 40 percent of total number of tourists in Taiwan last year. In real terms, about 4.18 million mainland tourists visited Taiwan in 2015.