Travel agencies that have not benefited from the opening to Chinese tourists yesterday accused the Travel Agent Association (TAA) of handing a list to China’s China International Travel Service (CITS) stipulating which travel agencies in Taiwan are and are not allowed to arrange trips for Chinese tourists.
Since the opening of increased tourism, only a dozen of the nation’s 177 certified travel agencies have handled arrangements for Chinese tourists, travel agents said, adding that interested parties may be attempting to monopolize the market.
The travel agencies said that when CITS applies for Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan, they must provide a list of the travel agencies in Taiwan who will receive the tourists.
In response to the allegations, the TAA and Tourism Bureau said no list of tourist agencies had been handed to CITS. Bureau section chief Chang Hsi-tsung (張錫聰) said the number of Chinese visitors entering the country was not enough for every agency to reap the benefits.
If you divide the number of Chinese tourists entering the country by the number of travel agencies in Taiwan that are certified to handle them, it is not surprising that some travel agencies are left empty-handed, Chang said, adding that these agencies mistakenly believed that they had been blacklisted.
Chang said he believed that more travel agencies would gradually see the benefits of Chinese tourists.
TAA secretary-general Hsu Kao-ching (�?y) said that whether a travel agency receives business or not depends on business skills and marketing, adding that he had no knowledge of any blacklist.
Meanwhile, some travel agencies expressed concern about working with businesses in China to arrange trips for Chinese tourist groups.
Some agents said off the record that they were concerned that Chinese travel agencies would exploit the competition among Taiwanese travel agents to increase their own profits. It was still too early to know whether the influx of Chinese tourists would bring significant profits, they said.
Japanese travel agencies were willing to pay top dollar for good quality and services, they said, but it may be hard to get a decent price from tough-bargaining Chinese travel agencies.
Local travel agents said it would not be wise to put all their eggs in one basket, adding that they would continue to seek tourist groups from other countries.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS