FIRST EVER TRAVEL INDUSTRY DEMONSTRATION|觀光業9/12上街頭 訴求"有工作能溫飽"

On Sept. 12, members of the travel industry, including hotel owners, tour bus operator and travel guides will hold a demonstration to call attention to their lack of business from China. This is the first time that the travel industry has held such a demonstration. Many coaches are parked instead of out on the roads due to the drop in the number of Chinese tourists. When business was good, they carried three to four groups a month. Now they don't know when their next case will be. ==LEE RUI-RONG Coach driver== After this group goes, I don't even know when my next group will be. We just have to wait for the company to let us know. Otherwise, I just have to take time off, but I don't know how long for. ==CHANG TIEN-TSAI CEO, National Joint Association of Bus for Tourist of ROC== When there are Chinese tourists, there is business worth about NT$200,000. Of this around NT$140,000 to NT$150,000 goes on loan payments for the coaches. Now there's not enough business, the coaches are just standing out there in the sun. In 2008, as numbers of Chinese tourists rose, many coach drivers took out loans to buy their own coaches. There were around 4,000 sales of coaches dedicated for the Chinese tourist market. After the number of these tourists started dropping this year, many drivers, who don't get a minimum wage are left without any income as they don't have business. They can't pay the loans for their vehicles either. Around 10,000 full-time guides dedicated to the Chinese market are in the same boat. There is about a quarter of the previous business volume. ==WU YONG-YI CEO, Tourist Guide Association ROC== When business was flourishing I could take about three to four groups a month, now there are probably only about 2,500 guides that are working. The number of tour groups have dropped by a half. There are around one to two groups a month, sometimes none. ==LEE CHI-YUE Spokesperson, Travel Agent Association of ROC Taiwan== This has impacted many industries and the impact is bigger than we imagined. The Travel Agent Association says although the Executive Yuan has offered relief measures, these are only short-term. On Sept. 12, the demonstration by travel industry workers hopes to call proper attention to the issue from the government. However, the Presidential Office spokesperson, Alex Huang said that the tourism industry should not have any political interference and any issues should be solved by the industry itself. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 駕駛熟練地轉動方向盤，將遊覽車緩緩停進車格裡，本該出去接團、空蕩蕩的停車場，卻因為陸客團變少無法出車，車位都被停得滿滿的。專門接陸客團的駕駛說，以前生意好的時候，一個月可以接三到四團，現在陸客減少，能不能接到團都是未知數，而且自己還有兩個小孩要養，不知道該怎麼辦。 ==遊覽車駕駛 李瑞榮== 像我這一團結束之後 還有沒有團 我也不知道 我也是要等候公司通知我 我才會知道 不然我可能也是在休息 那休息多久 我也不會知道的 ==中華民國遊覽車公會全國聯合會執行長 張天財== 有(陸客)團做的時候 每個月的營業額 大概有20幾萬 這20幾萬其中14、15萬 大概又用來付遊覽車的貸款 可是現在沒有生意了 那很多車子幾乎都在曬太陽 2008年因陸客旅行團人數增加，不少遊覽車駕駛自掏腰包貸款，總計添購4000輛遊覽車專載陸客，怎知今年陸客限縮之後無團可帶，尤其駕駛多半沒有底薪，沒接團就幾乎沒有收入，先前貸款也繳不出來。而同樣受到影響的還有華語導遊，近一萬名全職導遊，現在只剩下四分之一，有團可帶。 ==中華民國觀光導遊協會理事長 伍永益== 很榮景的時候 一個月差不多帶團 可以帶到3到4團 現在的話差不多只有2500人 可以帶到團 帶到的團數 相對地減半 差不多在1到2團 但也有甚至沒有團可以帶 ==旅行公會全聯會發言人 李奇嶽== 有非常多的一些產業 受到了一些衝擊 這些衝擊來講 它會比我們想像中的影響 是更擴大的 旅行公會全聯會表示，雖然行政院已經提出紓困措施，畢竟只能解決燃眉之急。而下週一將號召上萬名業者，走上街頭，盼望政府能夠正視觀光產業難題。但總統府發言人黃重諺表示，觀光不應該受到政治的干擾，觀光的問題，應該從觀光來解決。 記者 王柏文 陳立峰 李志華 謝其文 台北報導