Travel agencies face stricter penalties if they use free independent tourists (FITs) from China to form tour groups after regulations were tightened yesterday, the Tourism Bureau said.
The bureau said it decided to implement tougher rules to ensure the quality of cross-strait tourism services are maintained after some agencies exploited loopholes in tourism regulations by forming tour groups with Chinese FITs, who applied for permits to enter Taiwan as independent travelers.
There are different daily quotas for Chinese traveling to Taiwan as members of tour groups or as independent travelers.
The bureau said some Taiwanese travel agencies are offering tours to independent travelers as if they are tour group participants. They then limit the travelers’ rights to choose or change their itineraries and avoid meeting government regulations. Such illegal practices have disrupted the market, the bureau said.
Taiwanese travel agencies are now barred from offering their services to tour groups other than the ones formed through the agencies in Hong Kong, Macau and China or to those formed with Chinese FITs.
Travel agencies found violating the new rule could be suspended, anywhere from one month to one year, the bureau said.
Bureau statistics show that 23 local travel agencies have been fined between NT$10,000 to NT$50,000 for violating rules government Chinese tourists between October 2013 and yesterday.
The bureau said it would enhance its inspections of the industry, focusing on agencies operating at major tourist attractions and shopping areas.
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