The government yesterday released details of the new measures governing Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan, a move that drew the ire of local travel agencies which complained the fine print was too restrictive.
The move follows the Executive Yuan's official announcement at the end of November to allow Chinese nationals studying and living abroad to visit Taiwan from Jan. 1 onward.
Following that, the Tourism Bureau and the Bureau of Immigration jointly released a document detailing "rules for mainland people engaging in travel activities in Taiwan."
The new document regulates Taiwanese travel agencies involved in assisting Chinese businessmen and Chinese tourists to apply for permission to visit Taiwan.
According to the new rules, Chinese tourists will have to prove that they have full-time employment or own at least NT$200,000 in assets. Such tourists will also only be allowed to enter and leave Taiwan in tour groups of between 15 and 40 people, which would have to include a tour guide.
Chinese nationals living or studying abroad are required to provide proof of overseas residence or study. They will be limited to stays of up to 10 days, extendable by another seven days. Permission to visit Taiwan will not be granted to Chinese civil servants, military or political officials, or Chinese citizens who have broken the law within five years before their applications.
Taiwanese travel agents who want to deal with Chinese tourists have to have at least five years of experience. If their applications for an operating license are approved, they will then be required to pay a NT$1 million deposit as emergency contingency coverage for travellers.
Travel agents managing Chinese tourists will be required to check and report on the status of the tourists to the Tourism Bureau within two hours of their arrival in Taiwan. In the event of overstays by their clients, the travel agents could be banned from bringing more groups to Taiwan. The bans can last from between one month to a year, depending on the number of clients who overstay their visas. Travel agents will have their quotas reduced for bringing Chinese tourists if too many tourists overstay their visas or "escape."
Despite the extra revenue the tourists would bring local travel agents, many were critical of the government's fine print.
"We should create a friendly tourism ambiance, without all this over regulation. Too much control could even adversely affect cross-strait relations," said Tseng Sheng-hai (曾盛海), chairman of the Taipei Association of Travel Agents.
According to Tseng, aside from reporting on the status of their Chinese tourists within two hours of their arrival, local travel agents are also required to update the travellers' status again at 11pm every night.
"I don't understand why travel agents should take responsibility for overstays, especially when we follow the reporting system completely," Tseng said.
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