The government will work to improve the quality of mainland Chinese group tours to Taiwan, Premier Jiang Yi-huah pledged at today's political affairs meeting after being briefed by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) on the problems of mainland tourist groups visiting Taiwan without tour fees and the monopolization of their itineraries by certain businesses in a coordinated process.
"Attracting mainland tourists to Taiwan is high on the government's agenda for promoting cross-strait exchanges. The quality of group tours affects the sustainable development of the cross-strait tourism market," said Jiang. "Relevant agencies should continue to strengthen their inspections and make Taiwan a tourist-friendly environment."
In response to the public's suspicions that mainland Chinese people's group tours to Taiwan have been made hostage to certain stores that dominate their itineraries and by extension the tourist market, the premier requested the MOTC to cooperate with the Ministry of Economic Affairs to clarify and resolve the problem, including investigating whether this coordinated process is dominated by funds from mainland China or Hong Kong. He also instructed that the MOTC, Fair Trade Commission and Ministry of Finance (MOF) jointly discuss how to better manage relevant shops from the source.
Premier Jiang directed the MOTC to promptly draft measures to regulate mainland Chinese tour organizers and tour guides as well as place a cap on the number of local travel agencies certified to host mainland group tours. In addition, he asked the Ministry of the Interior to amend the regulations governing the approval of people of the mainland area visiting Taiwan for purposes of tourism as well as rules and measures concerning border entry violations by mainland Chinese tour guides.
The premier also asked the MOTC to have discussions with the Financial Supervisory Commission's Banking Bureau, the National Immigration Agency and the Travel Agent Association of R.O.C., Taiwan to work out a "payment before services" policy—requiring proof of prepayment for group tours—in order to protect Taiwanese travel agencies.
Executive Yuan Spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun said the premier has demanded the MOF step up crackdowns on tax evasion by shops frequented by mainland group tourists and asked the Tourism Bureau to increase checks on and penalties for group tours pretending to be independent tourists as well as lawbreaking Hong Kong-funded travel agencies in order to put an end to their profiteering practices.
Sun said the MOF's tax administrations currently run spot checks on over 200 stores that mainland Chinese tourists frequent in order to detect tax evasion and prohibited practices. Between January 2013 and July 2014, over 4,000 cases were uncovered, generating tax revenues and fine payments of up to NT$880 million (US$29.3 million).
Sun also reiterated that mainland Chinese group tourists have benefited Taiwan, as their spending on accommodation, dining, transportation and other goods and services generate revenues and create jobs for local residents.