China News Service, Taipei, February 8 (Reporter Lu Mei) In response to the Taiwan authorities' tourism authorities' announcement to suspend group travel for Taiwanese people to the mainland, representatives of Taiwan's travel industry held a press conference in Taipei on the 8th to express anger and protest.
The 7th is the last working day in Taiwan before the Spring Festival. In the afternoon, Taiwan's "Taiwan Tourism Administration" suddenly announced that the planned group travel for Taiwanese people to the mainland after the Spring Festival will no longer be carried out from now on, and travel operators will stop soliciting tour groups to the mainland. .
"I want to express serious anger and protest!" Wu Yanhui, vice chairman of the Taiwan Travel Agents Association, said that 90% of Taiwan's nearly 4,000 travel operators are doing business in organizing groups to go to the mainland. This ban has made the operators "flying like dogs". . April to June is the peak season for traveling to mainland China. Many businesses have applied to airlines to replace small planes with larger ones. In June, 70% to 80% of passengers have been received. This move will have a huge impact and will cause serious losses to the travel industry. The number of travel disputes will increase significantly, and it will also harm the rights and interests of consumers.
He pointed out that Taiwan is now open to travel to other countries and regions around the world, but it only prohibits group travel to the mainland. The Taiwan authorities’ “ban on group travel” to the mainland has no basis in laws and regulations, and it makes the world laugh.
Analysis by Li Qiyue, chairman of the Taiwan Chinese Quality Tourism Development Association, pointed out that in 2019 before the COVID-19 epidemic, Taiwan had 17 million outbound tourists, one-third of which were to the mainland, and there were more than 2 million group tourists. Cross-Strait passenger exchanges support the aviation industry's cross-Strait routes, accounting for nearly 40% of Taiwan's overseas route turnover. In addition, small and medium-sized travel operators in central and southern Taiwan can only provide tour groups to the mainland because they do not have foreign language skills. This ban will hit them even harder. "If the two sides of the Taiwan Strait cannot communicate normally, the road to recovery of the tourism industry will be bumpy. A discounted market is unhealthy."
Li Qiyue pointed out that the Taiwan authorities cheated on votes day and night, making people completely lose confidence in them. It is very unfair to tie up Taiwanese consumers and businesses for the ideological and political struggle against the mainland. "It makes people not even in the mood to eat New Year's Eve dinner."
Chen Yixuan, chairman of the Taipei City Tourism Association, said that the epidemic has dealt a heavy blow to the tourism industry in the past few years, and the blockade has finally been lifted. Many Taiwanese operators who operate mainland tourist routes are preparing to expand their scale. The authorities’ “ban on group tours” must be completed for everyone. Unemployed every year.
Wang Hongwei, a "legislator" of the Chinese Kuomintang, said that the DPP authorities promised to lift the "ban on youth groups" in March before the election, but broke their promise less than a month after the election, setting a record for "election checks bouncing at the speed of light".
She pointed out that the timing of the news released by the Taiwan authorities was "very delicate". On the morning of the 7th, Taiwan Sugar's pork was re-inspected and confirmed to contain clenbuterol, raising the issue of food safety again. In the afternoon, the Taiwan authorities used the so-called "mainland has no goodwill" as an excuse to throw out The "ban on group tours" is intended to shift the focus of conflicts, but travel operators and consumers have become victims.
Wu Yanhui said that if the problem is not resolved, travel industry operators will take to the streets to protest. (over)