BEIJING -- The mainland will continue to create better conditions and services for Taiwan people who want to travel to the mainland, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said Wednesday.

"We warmly welcome and support the participation of our compatriots from Taiwan in cross-Strait cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation, and we welcome more young people from the island to personally experience the charm of fine traditional Chinese culture on the mainland," spokesman Chen Binhua told a press conference.

The recent exchanges in the cultural and tourism sectors between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have shown that compatriots on both sides are eagerly looking forward to strengthening exchanges, he said.

He urged Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authorities to promptly lift the unpopular ban on Taiwan travel agencies organizing tours to the mainland and create conditions for the revival of cross-Strait tourism.

According to Chen, since the mainland resumed allowing its residents to travel to Jinmen county earlier this year, thousands of mainland residents have applied for travel documents to visit Jinmen.