Many young travelers are among the first individual tourists flying out to Taiwan from the city this morning under new travel arrangements, travel agencies said yesterday.

Eleven-year-old Yang Xinyan, member of a group of individual mainland tourists to southeast China's Taiwan, shows a travel handbook while waits for boarding at Shanghai Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China, June 28, 2011.

Almost 70 tourists are reported to be leaving from the Pudong International Airport.

They will stay around a week in Taiwan, after booking packages with prices ranging between 3,000 yuan (US$428) and 6,000 yuan.

Until now, tourists from the Chinese mainland to Taiwan had to travel in groups.

"Before, most tourists going to Taiwan were over the age of 50, but now people of around 30 are booking up as they prefer individual packages," said Yu Weihua, general manager of the Shanghai China International Travel Service Co Ltd.

A tourist surnamed Dai, 29, is among the first to make the trip as an individual. He said had wanted to go to Taiwan for months, but didn't want to join a tour group.

"We don't have language barriers between Taiwan natives and us and we basically share the same culture," he said. "So I don't think it's necessary to book into a group."

Locals can book taxis in Taiwan via a booking system based in Shanghai ahead of their journey. Shanghai Dazhong Transport Group has signed an agreement with Taiwan Taxi to offer the service.

City tourists can dial 96822 to book a taxi in Taiwan before they leave home and will be picked up at the airport. Taiwan tourists can book taxis in Shanghai via Taiwan booking number 55688.