NANCHANG, Feb. 27 -- Chinese mainland visitors to Taiwan reached 2.19 million in 2013, up from 1.97 million in 2012, an official said on Thursday.

Nearly a quarter of mainland tourists to Taiwan last year were individual travelers, said Shao Qiwei, chairman of the Cross-Straits Tourism Communication Association of the Chinese mainland, at the opening ceremony of a cross-Strait tourism industry meeting held in Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi Province.

Taiwan opened to group tourists from the Chinese mainland in 2008, and to individuals in 2011.

The number of Chinese mainland visitors to Taiwan surpassed 7.2 million by the end of 2013, according to Shao.

"We hope that cross-Strait tourism exchanges will be deepened and enhanced in the future," he added.