TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Fifty tour groups of about 1,000 people traveled to China on Friday (March 1), the first day of a three-month suspension of tours.

The Tourism Administration said last month that only tours for the period from March until the end of May would be allowed to travel to China. The suspension of tours from June 1 was the result of Beijing not allowing Chinese groups to visit Taiwan and its unilateral decision to alter flight routes over the Taiwan Strait.

Travel agencies said that 90% of their China tours for March, April, and May had been booked, per CNA. The most popular destinations were the national parks of Jiuzhaigou and Zhangjiajie, and the city of Chongqing.

Lion Travel said 14 groups with 310 people were flying to China on Friday. The vast majority had booked tours lasting at least eight days, as they wanted more in-depth travel.

Cola Tour was sending about 600 travelers in 30 groups, mostly to south China. The province of Guizhou was popular, but as there were no direct flights from Taiwan, the tourists had to transit through Macao, the company said.

The first tour groups for Ezfly were scheduled for March 6, with 1,200 travelers booked for the next three months. The tour operator said that customers who had paid for trips in June could ask for their money back.