BEIJING -- The Chinese mainland's Association for Tourism Exchange Across the Taiwan Straits and Taiwan's Taiwan Strait Tourism group will meet in Beijing on Thursday to discuss issues on allowing more mainland cities' residents to visit the island as individual tourists, a mainland spokesman said Wednesday.

The mainland side feels positive about expanding the number of mainland cities that Taiwan allows residents to take individual trips through a trial program, Yang Yi, spokesman of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a regular press conference.

During China's seven-day national holiday, more than 21,600 mainland tourists visited Taiwan, including 19,225 who visited in groups and 2,386 as individual tourists, said Yang.

Since June 28, Taiwan has opened the door to residents of the mainland cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen. They can make individual trips to the island through a trial program that is expected to boost cross-Strait travel.