NUMBER OF CHINESE TOURISTS DECREASE LEADS TO TOUR AGENCY'S CLOSURE|陸客減少 聯華旅行社二度跳票倒閉

The Lunar New Year holiday should be a busy season for travel, but with the recent chill in cross-Strait relations, another long-time travel agency has been forced to shut its doors. The Tourism Bureau has been notified by the Travel Quality Assurance Association that YouMe Tour has bounced a NT$940,000 check. As this is YouMe's second bounced check with no sign of repayment, the company's operations have been suspended. The Travel Agent Association says that YouMe specialized in high-end business tours from China, the number of which has decreased significantly since last year with changes in the cross-Strait relationship. YouMe Tour on Songjiang Road in Taipei is packing up and leaving. As word spread that the company bounced a NT$940,000 check, the Tourism Bureau sent a representative to investigate. The employees say that they are still owed back pay. The company's proprietor is abroad and says that he will come back to handle the situation. As this is YouMe's second bounced check, the Tourism Bureau has suspended its operations. ==CHEN CHIA-YING Tourism Bureau Business Division Chief== The company is unable to continue its operations. To protect consumer rights, we've suspended the company's travel operations effective today based on Articles 36 and 38 of the Consumer Protection Act. The Tourism B ureau says that YouMe operated tours mainly for government and corporate delegations from China, as well as some Vietnamese groups. The Travel Agent Association says that YouMe is an established travel agency that has transitioned into higher-priced tours, but still found itself unable to continue. ==LI CHI-YUEH Travel Agent Assoc. Spokesperson== YouMe's closing is loud and clear, but other companies have closed more quietly, maybe just stopping operations, stopping tours, or laying off staff. The association says that the chill in cross-Strait ties means that China-focused travel agencies are dropping one by one. They need to expand into a new customer base to resolve their current difficulties. TRANSLATED BY：JOHN CHEN 過年前夕，原本是旅遊旺季，但兩岸關係急凍，又有老字號旅行社撐不下去。觀光局接獲品保協會通報，位於台北市的聯華旅行社跳票94萬元，因為是第二次跳票，金額也沒有補回，將對聯華發出"暫停營業通知"，旅行公會表示，聯華旅行社過去專門接待高端的陸客商務團，去年以來受兩岸關係影響，商務團也銳減。 搬家公司協助打包，位在台北市松江路的聯華旅行社，上午傳出跳票94萬元，觀光局立刻派員前往了解，值班員工透露還有薪水沒拿到，觀光局聯絡尚在國外的旅行社負責人，負責人表示會回台處理，但由於這是聯華旅行社第二次跳票，觀光局在下午已經對業者發出"暫停營業通知" ==觀光局業務組科長 陳嘉穎== 因為他目前沒辦法繼續經營 為避免影響旅客消費的權益 我們已經今天會依照消保法 36條38條的規定 勒令該公司停止經營旅行業務 觀光局表示，聯華旅行社主要接待的是來自中國的政府參訪團或是企業踩線團，也有少數的越南團，旅行公會表示，聯華旅行社是業界老字號，很早就著手經營價格較高的商務陸團，沒想到還是撐不下去 ==旅行公會全聯會發言人 李奇嶽== 聯華這是顯性的倒閉 有很多是隱性的 隱性的他可能是公司停止作業 停止接待或是公司裁員 旅行公會透露，受到兩岸關係急凍，接待陸團旅行社現在是"倒閉進行式"，有的縮編，有的沒有客源進來還在硬撐，必須儘快開拓新客源，才能度過難關。 綜合報導