Lee said the Tourism Bureau should make an accurate estimate of the accommodations available for tourists, adding that it should not just include three-star or five-star hotels.
He said some universities have hotels that allow students in the tourism departments to practice what they learn in class. The National Police Agency and Youth Hostels have nationwide lodging facilities as well, he added.
According to Lee, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ (MOTC) policy of only allowing tour operators to carry Chinese tourists on tour buses that have been in operation for less than seven years was the main reason there were not enough tour buses.
“Some of tour buses, like those by Volvo or Mercedes Benz, are still reliable after 10 years in operation,” he said.
Lee said that because of the MOTC policy, most tour bus operators invested in buses that would only last three or four years.
However, Lee agreed with the Executive Yuan’s decision to allow individual Chinese tourists because more small businesses would benefit.
Professor Chen Chr-ji (陳墀吉) of Shih Hsin University’s Tourism Department disagreed with the way the National Immigration Agency (NIA) set the quota for how many Chinese would be allowed to enter the country per day.
The NIA has reportedly allowed additional Chinese to enter the country by using the unfilled spots accumulated since July last year, when less than 1,000 Chinese tourists were arriving per day.
“People eat three meals per day. Suppose you only eat two meals today, does that mean you have to eat four meals tomorrow?” Chen asked.
Like Lee, Chen also said the government should determine the maximum capacity of the country’s tourism facilities. Otherwise, tourists from other countries may soon be crowded out.
Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) told media earlier this month that he “felt a bit nervous” when the number of Chinese tourists hit 5,000 in March and immediately asked his staff to do a recount of all the lodging facilities and tour buses that were available.
“I think the number of visitors will drop back to normal after the Labor Day holidays,” he said at the time.
Mao said that Alishan did not give tour guides much flexibility because it had limited accommodations. Thus, a majority of tourists eat lunch at Alishan and have to leave before sunset, he said, adding that the ministry was coordinating with the Forestry Bureau of the Council of Agriculture, which also helps manage Alishan, to add more parking lots and perhaps more shuttle buses to carry tourists.
Mao has instructed the Tourism Bureau to set up a database in which tour guides can register to see which groups will be visiting the same scenic spots every day. He said this would give them an idea of how to tweak their schedules to avoid crowds.
At the moment, the ministry is not considering raising the cap on the Chinese tourists from 3,000 to 5,000 per day, Mao said.
“I think both sides [Taiwan and China] have a consensus on the quantity,” he said. “Both can now start working on the quality of the tours.”
RSS