The legislature’s Transportation Committee yesterday preliminarily approved an amendment to the Act for the Development of Tourism (發展觀光條例) that seeks to raise the penalty for vandalizing national scenic areas to a maximum of NT$1 million (US$31,200).
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津), one of the amendment’s proposers, said incidences of tourists carving words onto surfaces inside scenic areas have become increasingly frequent in recent years, as the number of domestic and international visitors to the sites rises.
Yeh said she and other legislators feel the penalty for such defacement of scenic areas — a fine of between NT$3,000 and NT$15,000 — is too light to be an effective deterrent, so they proposed raising the fine to between NT$5,000 and NT$1 million.
She added that the amendment would authorize the Tourism Bureau to regulate entry to scenic spots if the number of visitors exceeds capacity.
“If we do not regulate entry to scenic areas, we will be killing the goose that lays the golden eggs,” Yeh said. “It is also unfair that the people of this generation exploit the development of the scenic areas, with the consequences being borne by the next generation.”
She added that the bureau could use hotel accommodations, flights and other means of transport to regulate the volume of visitors to scenic areas.
In addition, the amendment would redefine the term “hostel enterprise” as stated in the act to include any profit-taking enterprise that provides tourists with lodging, resting facilities or other services approved by central administrative authorities that are paid for daily or weekly.
The bureau has launched a crackdown on unlicensed individuals renting out lodgings to visitors by the day or by week. If approved, the amendment would see such services listed in the act.
The draft bill would also require hostel enterprise operators to register with the local authorities and get a permit before they can offer their services, as well as fulfilling other stipulations outlined in the Company Act (公司法). Violators would face a fine of between NT$180,000 and NT$900,000.
Under the amendment, the Tourism Bureau would be able to shut down illegal operators immediately and keep fining a violator as along as they continue operating. It could also cut off an illicit operator’s water, electricity and other commodities to force them to comply.
Taiwan yesterday expelled four China Coast Guard vessels that entered Taiwan-controlled restricted waters off Lienchiang County (Matsu) shortly after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army announced the start of its “Joint Sword-2024B” drills around Taiwan. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said in a statement that it had detected two China Coast Guard ships west of Nangan Island (南竿) and another two north of Dongyin Island (東引) at 8am yesterday. After Chinese ships sailed into restricted waters off Matsu shortly afterward, the CGA’s Kinmen-Matsu-Penghu Branch deployed four patrol vessels to shadow and approach the vessels, it said. The incidents pushed up to 44 the number
Renovations on the B3 concourse of Taipei Main Station are to begin on Nov. 1, with travelers advised to use entrances near the Taiwan Railway or high-speed rail platforms or information counter to access the MRT’s Red Line. Construction is to be completed before the end of next year, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said last week. To reduce the impact on travelers, the NT$95 million (US$2.95 million) project is to be completed in four stages, it said. In the first stage, the hall leading to the Blue Line near the art exhibition area is to be closed from Nov. 1 to the end
The government has issued a deportation order for a Spanish fugitive, ordering him to leave the country within 10 days, as he is wanted by European authorities for allegedly operating a car rental scam. National Immigration Agency (NIA) officials yesterday said Salvador Alejandro Llinas Onate, 48, had been notified that he must leave Taiwan, as he was wanted for committing serious crimes. The Spaniard has been indicted by Italian prosecutors for allegedly leading a 30 million euros (US$32.74 million) car rental scam and setting up a fraudulent company in Trento, Italy. The deportation order is based on Article 18 of
Taipei’s Ximending (西門町) shopping area welcomed the most international visitors, followed by Taipei 101, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park and Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園), a list of the city’s most popular tourist attractions published by the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism showed. As of August, 69.22 million people had visited Taipei’s main tourism spots, a 76 percent increase from 39.33 million in the same period last year, department data showed. Ximending had 20.21 million visitors, followed by Taipei 101 at 8.09 million, Songshan Cultural and Creative Park at 6.28 million, Yangmingshan at 4.51 million and the Red House Theater (西門紅樓) in
RSS