Transportation ministry proposes amendments to tourism law

Taipei, June 29 (CNA) The Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) has proposed a set of amendments to an existing tourism law that seeks to impose heavier punishments on businesses in the sector that operate illegally after hundreds of tourists were stranded in Vietnam earlier this year.

According to the MOTC, amendments to the Act for the Development of Tourism include raising the maximum fine for tourism sector businesses, including hotel operators and travel agencies, caught damaging national dignity, acting immorally, or defrauding tourists from the current NT$500,000 (US$15,375) to NT$1 million.

In addition, businesses that continue to operate despite being ordered to close will be fined NT$2 million, an increase from NT$500,000. The maximum fine for those operating without a license will also be raised from NT$500,000 to NT$2 million.

Meanwhile, unlicensed tourism operators caught disseminating, broadcasting or publishing advertisements through any form of media, including television and the internet, will be fined between NT$60,000 and NT$1.5 million, an increase from the current NT$30,000-NT$300,000.

The proposed amendments, announced on June 20, came following an incident involving the Taipei-based We Love Tour. Nearly 300 Taiwanese tourists who booked with the travel firm were stranded in Vietnam on a Lunar New Year holiday tour to Phú Quốc Island in mid-February.

The incident in Vietnam occurred following a dispute over outstanding payments between We Love Tour and a Vietnamese travel agency.

The Taiwanese firm was fined a combined NT$810,000 for violations of the tourism law and the Regulations Governing Travel Agencies.

The increased fines are to curb businesses operating illegally or engaging in behavior that violates the law and regulations, the MOTC said. They added the purpose is to enhance the quality of Taiwan's tourism environment.

The proposed law revision will need to be approved by the Cabinet before it is submitted to the Legislative Yuan for deliberation.