The Tourism Administration today said it would focus on guidance and only issue penalties for repeated noncompliance, after a requirement for travel agencies to register trips to China went into effect last week.
The agency last week sent a letter to travel agencies saying they would be required to assist travelers in completing registration with the Mainland Affairs Council’s online system before departure when arranging study tours, exchange groups or self-organized group tours to China.
The new rule took effect on Tuesday last week.
Photo: CNA
Agencies failing to complete the required forms in accordance with the regulations could be fined NT$10,000 to NT$50,000 under the Regulations Governing Travel Agencies (旅行業管理規則), it said.
In a news release today, the agency said that the move is intended to safeguard travelers’ safety and protect their rights.
Registration is conducted on a group basis and travel agencies are not required to submit information on behalf of independent travelers, it said.
Required information includes the name of the travel agency, contact details for organizers and tour leaders, the number of travelers, travel dates and a brief itinerary, it said.
The form does not include personal information such as travelers’ names or identification document details, it added.
In the event of an emergency, the council and Straits Exchange Foundation would be able to use the information to quickly contact the travel agency, verify the status of travelers and provide assistance, it said.
Travel agencies are required to carry out four safety management measures before departure, including informing travelers of the risks associated with traveling to China, assisting them in completing the registration, cooperating in providing statistical information on travel services to China and ensuring that they are covered by travel agency liability insurance, it said.
However, as the new requirement only took effect last week, travel agencies that fail to complete registrations would first be instructed to make corrections within a specified period, the agency said.
The primary objective is to protect travelers’ personal safety and rights, not punish agencies solely for failing to complete registrations, it said.
Penalties would be imposed only if agencies fail to rectify the issue after being advised to do so or commit repeat violations, with sanctions determined according to severity, it added.
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