The Taiwan authorities suddenly changed the policy on group travel to the mainland, causing the industry to lament Ma Ying-jeou: The biggest problem is that the authorities never communicate

　　China News Service reported on February 8 that Taiwan's tourism authorities announced on the 7th that group travel plans for Taiwanese people to visit the mainland after the Spring Festival would no longer be carried out from now on. There is less than a month left before Taiwan tour group tourists can travel to the mainland. The tourism industry has been waiting for and preparing for it for a long time, but it has been temporarily suspended. The industry on the island is lamenting that "I am afraid that they will lose their jobs after the year."

  Taiwan Taoyuan Airport. Image source: Photo by Chen Qiquan, Taiwan China News Network

Ma Ying-jeou: The biggest problem between the two sides is that the DPP authorities never communicate with the mainland

　　Ma Ying-jeou, the former leader of Taiwan, said that peace must be the most important thing between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. He hoped that the Taiwan authorities would be careful and tolerant in handling these issues and not cause unnecessary trouble.

　　Ma Ying-jeou said that there is no need to make a big fuss at all. The biggest problem between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait is that the DPP authorities never communicate with the mainland. How could there be such a government?

　　In the past, when cross-strait tourism exchanges were most prosperous, there were approximately 4.05 million tourists from Taiwan to the mainland, and more than 4.15 million tourists from the mainland to Taiwan, bringing huge tourism business opportunities to Taiwan.

　　New Taipei City Mayor Hou Youyi said on the 8th that the tourism industry has been very hard over the past few years. At this time, the authorities have announced that groups cannot be organized to the mainland, which is even worse for tourism operators. If this situation does not improve, I believe Taiwan’s tourism industry will only get better and better. Difference.

Business owners on the island: Very shocked and sad, “I may not even be able to eat the New Year’s Eve dinner”

　　Xiao Boren, chairman of the National Federation of Taiwan Travel Agents Association, said that the operators had no idea beforehand and there is no way to count how many tour groups were affected. It is "too bad" that the authorities did not keep their promises and chose the day before the Chinese New Year to leave the operators with nothing. The answer was, "There's nothing I can do if I want to throw eggs."

　　Xiao Boren said that many industry players have called and scolded them harshly. It is not ruled out that they will take action after the year for such unreasonable things.

　　Li Qiyue, chairman of the China Quality Tourism Development Association, also said that the sudden announcement made the industry very shocked and sad, and "may even not be able to eat the New Year's Eve dinner."

　　Li Qiyue criticized that industry-related advertising in the past few months has been in vain. The point is that it was difficult to start relevant business, but suddenly it was stopped. Such a policy made the industry very sad, shocked and angry.

Lai Zhengyi calls on Taiwan authorities to pay more attention to cross-strait issues

　　Lai Cheng-yi, chairman of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce, said on the 8th that there were countless calls from the evening of the 7th to the morning of the 8th. Travel operators expressed strong anger and claimed that they had been cheated. Related industries began to join forces and prepare to mobilize tens of thousands of people to take to the streets after the year. Protest against changes in government orders overnight, destroying jobs in the tourism industry.

　　Lai Zhengyi said, "The election is over." The DPP authorities should abide by their pre-election promise and allow Taiwanese group tourists to travel to the mainland in March. At the end of last year, various travel agencies had already begun to promote and attract group tourists, and almost 3 The tours for May are already fully booked, and 70% of the tours for June and July are already full. We are almost ready, with less than a month left. Everyone was busy until the year before, and they were still happy to say that the number of tourists visiting mainland China was full. Thinking of the last working day of the year, the bad news came. An administrative order ruined the dream of the travel industry. Everyone was caught off guard.

　　He pointed out that before the election, the DPP said it would increase cross-strait exchanges. Both Tsai Ing-wen and Lai Ching-te said so. However, the "New Year's gift package" given to travel agency operators after the election actually asked travel agencies to stop soliciting group tourists to the mainland. This is tantamount to opening up under false pretenses. In the name of defrauding votes.

　　Lai Zhengyi called on the Taiwan authorities to pay more attention to cross-strait issues, show more goodwill, strengthen interaction, quickly discuss cross-strait tourism and flights and other issues, and move towards greater openness and exchanges.

Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council: The DPP authorities use tourism for political manipulation and harm the welfare of compatriots

　　In response to a reporter's question on the 7th, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, pointed out that this will only make the Taiwanese people and the tourism industry once again dissatisfied with the DPP authorities for using tourism for political manipulation, hindering exchanges between compatriots on both sides of the strait, and harming the well-being of compatriots on both sides of the strait.

　　Zhu Fenglian said that Taiwanese people have been looking forward to organizing group tours to the mainland for a long time, and the tourism industry on the island has been calling on the Democratic Progressive Party authorities to lift the ban as soon as possible. Since August last year, relevant parties in Taiwan have claimed several times that they have made plans to resume group tours organized by Taiwan travel agencies to the mainland, but at the same time they have attached conditions, which is always based on political calculations. Today, Taiwan's tourism authorities announced that the original plan will no longer be implemented. This is not the first time that it has gone back on its word.