A group of travel agency operators from Beijing have arrived in Taiwan to tour aboriginal villages and assess their potential as attractions for Beijing sightseers. The 36-member group, led by Beijing Tourism Bureau Director An Jinming, paid a call on aboriginal Legislator Kao Chin Su-mei Friday to discuss the possibility of arranging tours to aboriginal villages and other rural spots around Taiwan. Kao Chin welcomed the Beijing travel agents, saying that their visit will pave the way for the first group of Chinese visitors to tour rural Taiwan early next year. 'Such tours will definitely help boost the sagging economies of the indigenous communities,' she said. She said the delegation's current tour of Taiwan is the result of a visit by her and a 100-member Taiwanese aboriginal group to Beijing in August, during which she and Beijing Mayor Guo Jinlong discussed the possibility of launching sightseeing tours to indigenous communities in Taiwan. For his part, An said his delegation hopes to get a broader picture of rural life in Taiwan. 'I hope we can gain a better understanding of Taiwan's minorities and their communities so that we can advise travel agencies on the possibility of tours to aboriginal villages,' An said. The Beijing tourism official said that since Taiwan lifted its restrictions last year to allow visits by larger numbers of Chinese sightseers, 'tourism between the two sides has gone beyond pure leisure to a cultural experience.' Over the past year, about 100,000 Beijing residents have visited Taiwan in 544 tour groups, while some 130,000 Taiwanese people have visited Beijing for tourism purposes, he noted. An said his group is also looking to explore the concept of homestay tourism in Taiwan, and noted that this has become an increasingly popular trend in the greater Beijing area in recent years. There are about 20,000 households in 344 villages in the greater Beijing area that offer homestays, he said. While in Taiwan, the Beijing group will visit Fusing Village in the northern county of Taoyuan, which is the home to the Atayal people; Atayal Taiaan township in the northern county of Miaoli; and Sun Moon Lake in central Taiwan, which is the home to the aboriginal tribe of Sao. They also plan to visit Sandimen township in the southern county of Pingtung, home to the Rukai people; Jhihben township in the eastern county of Taitung, and the Taroko National Park area in the eastern county of Hualien, which is home to the Amis and other aboriginal groups. 