A proposal to charge for entry to designated national scenic areas to raise conservation funds drew mixed reactions among tourism operators, some of whom supported the draft policy, while others said it would raise operating costs.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications for two months solicited views from the public on a draft of the new regulations and is to publish a finalized version soon, it said.
The regulations, which would apply to travelers to designated scenic areas and other natural, cultural or ecological scenic areas, would create a legal basis for tourist conservation fees, which could vary from NT$30 to NT$200 depending on the season and tourists’ nationalities.
Revenue from the collection of such fees is to be used only toward conserving the natural and cultural assets in the stated areas, according to the regulations.
After the rules are published, the government would need to list the affected areas and advertise the rates for six months before it starts implementing the charge, ministry officials said.
Travelers would have to pay more for tours because of the fees, Taiwan Tour Bus director-general William Lu (呂威德) said, adding that this year’s tour prices for international travelers were set last year and it would be impossible to change them now, so that tour operators would have to absorb the higher costs by themselves at first.
Lu would meet with the Executive Yuan’s minister without portfolio overseeing tourism and tell him that now is not the time to introduce conservation fees, he said.
“The tourism market is not as booming as it used to be,” Lu said. “Nowadays, tour operators have to work twice as hard to attract customers and now they are also seeing their costs rise.”
The purpose of having the national parks is to teach people the importance of conserving nature, Lu said, adding that people should not be asked to pay for this lesson.
Most tourists do not have to pay or must pay extremely low fees when to enter scenic areas, Travel Quality Assurance Association director Lilien Lian (連郁卿) said, adding that they should be charged admission fees.
“It is not a problem if tourists need to pay a little bit more than before to enjoy higher quality travel,” she said. “The problem is that many well-designed tourism facilities do not attract a lot of people.”
Collecting fees is necessary to maintain the cleanness and tidiness of the environment, Taiwan Watch Institute director-general Hsieh Ho-lin (謝和霖) said.
However, “the government needs to tell people how the revenue is to be used,” he said. “Collecting charges should help the government raise tour quality and conserve the natural environment.”
The fees should also help control the inflow of tourists to scenic areas, Hsieh said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is unlikely to attempt an invasion of Taiwan during US president-elect Donald Trump’s time in office, Taiwanese and foreign academics said on Friday. Trump is set to begin his second term early next year. Xi’s ambition to establish China as a “true world power” has intensified over the years, but he would not initiate an invasion of Taiwan “in the near future,” as his top priority is to maintain the regime and his power, not unification, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University distinguished visiting professor and contemporary Chinese politics expert Akio Takahara said. Takahara made the comment at a
Upon its completion next year, the new Tamkang Bridge (淡江大橋) in New Taipei City is to be an important landmark in Taiwan, alongside Taipei 101, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shi-kai (陳世凱) said today. The bridge is scheduled to be completed in December next year and open to the public in the first half of 2026, connecting New Taipei City’s Tamsui (淡水) and Bali (八里) districts. It is an asymmetric single-tower suspension bridge, nearly 70 stories tall, designed by world-famous architect Zaha Hadid. The bridge aims to alleviate traffic in Tamsui and on the Guandu Bridge (關渡大橋), in addition to increasing the
EXERCISES: A 2022 article by a Chinese intelligence expert identified at least six People’s Liberation Army assault boats hidden inside the Hong Kong-flagged ship A Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship that had been docked at Taichung Port and which previously took part in Chinese military exercises departed from the port on Saturday, the Taiwan International Ports Corp’s Taichung branch said yesterday. The statement came in response to a post on the social media platform X by Taiwan-based journalist Chris Horton that said the ship, the SCSC Fortune, had been docked at the port since Tuesday and questioned whether Taiwan has any rules regarding foreign civilian vessels that have participated in People’s Liberation Army (PLA) exercises. Horton referenced a 2022 article by Chinese intelligence expert Rod Lee that
PROBLEMATIC: Popular hotpot restaurant chains were among the list of restaurants that failed the inspection and have been ordered to remove bad ingredients The Taipei Department of Health’s latest inspection of hotpot ingredients in hotpot restaurants resulted in a 16.7 percent failure rate. Eight vegetables had excessive pesticide residue and two other items had aflatoxin and excessive preservatives. As the weather is getting colder, more people eat at hotpot restaurants so a random inspection of ingredients was conducted in October to ensure food safety, the department said. Food and Drug Division Director Lin Kuan-chen (林冠蓁) said 60 different ingredients were tested: 15 high-risk vegetables, 15 processed food items, 10 soy-based food items, five meat items, five lamb items, five seafood items and five peanut powder
RSS