Starting this month, Chinese tourists stranded at the nation’s seaports due to problems with ships are to be transported back to China using charter buses and flights arranged by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, with the costs paid entirely by the shipping firms or agencies responsible for the travelers.
The Maritime and Port Bureau said it stipulated the procedure after more than 1,700 international tourists arriving at the Port of Keelung on the cruise ship Costa Victoria were unable to return to Xiamen because of mechanical problems with the vessel.
According to the bureau, the ship carried 1,708 Chinese tourists, 12 tourists from Hong Kong or Macau, six from Taiwan and 12 from other countries. They were stranded at the Port of Keelung for three days from March 20.
China Travel Service requested Taiwan’s assistance in taking the tourists to Xiamen.
On March 23, the bureau met with officials from the Directorate-General of Highways (DGH), the Civil Aeronautics Administration, the National Immigration Agency, the National Police Agency as well as officials from other agencies to work out a solution for the stranded tourists.
The DGH helped to arrange buses to transport the tourists to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and the aviation agency coordinated with airlines to arrange charter flights to Xiamen.
The police agency helped to maintain order while the tourists were waiting at the seaport and Taoyuan airport, while the immigration agency arranged for the tourists to leave the country in separate groups.
Ho Wen-chih (何文智), section chief at the bureau’s North Maritime Affairs Center, said the incident was the first time the bureau had to send such a great number of tourists back to China, adding that the steps taken would set a precedent for similar events.
“Our policy is that tourists stranded at the seaport would either have to return on the same cruise ship after it is fixed or board flights back to where they came from,” Ho said.
“We have to follow the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), and the steps are to be taken to avoid any national security issues,” Ho added.
The bureau added that the procedures, which had been approved by the ministry, also state that the costs for charter buses and flights must be paid entirely by the cruise liners or the travel agencies representing the travelers and the companies are obligated to sign an affidavit agreeing to such payments.
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