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Concerns raised about growth in Chinese tourism

Lawmakers from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) said yesterday that the government should increase fines to prevent Chinese tourists from absconding.

The legislators made the remarks at a Transportation Committee meeting in the legislature, where officials from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Mainland Affairs Council had been invited to report on expand the numbers of Chinese tourists.

Tourism Bureau Director-General Hsu Wen-sheng (許文聖) said that Taiwanese travel agencies have to post a NT$1 million (US$30,300) bond when arranging for Chinese tourists to visit and that the bond would be increased to NT$2 million once the visitor program is fully opened.

If one of the tourists runs away from a tour group, the government confiscates NT$100,000 of the bond. It also tries to get the corresponding Chinese travel agencies to pay NT$80,000 for the estimated cost of processing and repatriating the runaway once he or she is found.

DPP Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) said the fines should be increased, 85 Chinese visitors have run away from their tours since the program began in 2002 -- out of 62,952 visitors -- and 36 remain at large.

"The fines should be dramatically raised in view of the national security and social stability issues involved," Lee said.
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