Almost 300 Taiwanese tourists were yesterday stranded in Bali, Indonesia, after the airport was shut down for 24 hours due to volcanic activity on Mount Agung.
Tourism Bureau data showed that there were 275 tourists in 17 Taiwanese tour groups on the island.
The tour groups were organized by a number of local travel agencies, including Lion Travel Service Co (雄獅旅行社), South East Travel Service (東南旅行社), Sunshine Travel Service Co (雙向國際旅行社), Richmond International Travel and Tours (山富國際), Life Tour (五福旅遊), Star Travel (燦星國際), Hsi Hung Travel Service (喜鴻旅行社) and Fest Tour (慶澤旅行社), the bureau said.
Tourists in the groups are all safe, it said.
An estimated 37 tour groups — 521 tourists in total — are scheduled to leave for Bali in the next few days, but five of the groups — 54 tourists — have canceled their trips, it said.
The bureau has also informed all travel agencies that tour guides leading tours in Bali must monitor the latest information published by the Indonesian government, adding that they should ensure the safety of the tourists by keeping away from areas that could be affected by volcanic activity.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday raised its travel alert for Bali to orange, meaning that visitors should be extremely cautious and avoid traveling to the island unless it is absolutely necessary.
The ministry cited a notice published by the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management, which has changed the volcano observatory notice for aviation to red, the highest alert.
The notice said that I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport was to be closed for 24 hours, starting yesterday.
Taiwanese tourists who are scheduled to travel to Bali are advised to keep in contact with their airlines and monitor flight information, the ministry said.
Because the ministry has issued an orange alert for Bali, the bureau said in a statement last night that tourists are entitled to invoke Article 15 on the standardized contract and seek refunds from travel agencies.
Travel agencies should refund the fees upon request after deducting non-refundable fees and a maximum 5 percent processing charge, the bureau said.
In addition to seeking refunds from travel agencies, travelers could negotiate with travel agencies on the possibility of postponing their trip or switching to a tour group in a different destination, the bureau said.
China Airlines (中華航空) yesterday canceled all flights to and from Bali from yesterday to tomorrow.
EVA Airways (長榮航空) canceled its flights to and from Bali yesterday.
Whether flights to and from Bali would be canceled today depends on the Indonesian government, the airline said.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS