According to statistics, the number of Taiwanese residents traveling to China for sightseeing, trade and investment has reached an average of 3 million trips per year. China has become one of the most popular travel destinations for the Taiwanese people. Despite this, Taiwanese tourists have constantly suffered accidents while traveling in China over the years. The frequent occurrences of accidents involving Taiwanese travelers in China show that they have not been properly protected. Therefore, the issue of travel safety in China must be taken seriously.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has entrusted scholars to study this issue and pointed out that Taiwanese tourists faces ten major problems when visiting China: They include the lack of a safety and security protection mechanism for travelers; serious overbooking of transport tickets; rampant production of counterfeit goods; uncontrolled spread of epidemic diseases; uninformed itinerary changes; forced visits to local shops; breached accommodation agreements; and confusion in the tipping system. These problems have greatly reduced the quality of travel for the Taiwanese tourists in the Mainland Area.
The scholars have recommended that the appropriate tourism authorities on both sides of the Strait should work together in cracking down on unlawful businesses, and fully distribute the information on these unlawful businesses and their offense, in order to minimize the damage to the consumers on both sides of the Strait. Moreover, Taiwanese residents visiting China should not take these risks too lightly just because the language and lifestyle of is similar on both sides of the Strait. On the contrary, travelers should reinforce their awareness of the risks involved. Furthermore, to ensure that appropriate measures are taken in the event of calamities, travelers should prepare themselves with related travel information, know where to seek assistance in the event of emergencies, and purchase adequate insurance before leaving on a trip.
The peak tourism season during the Lunar New Year holiday is fast approaching. Due to the effects of the South Asian tsunami disaster, several tourist groups have changed their destination to Mainland China. The MAC would like to remind those who are planning to travel to China that they should be aware of the risks and make proper risk assessments and management before leaving, so as to safeguard their own personal security when traveling. For assistance, travelers can contact the Straits Exchange Foundation (8862-27129292), the Hong Kong Affairs Bureau (852-25258642), or the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in Macao (853-306282).