TOURISM BUREAU DROPS ONE-DAY LONG-DISTANCE COACH TOURS|長途一日遊風險高 觀光局:即日起下架

The recent freeway coach crash revealed the problems inherent in the domestic one-day cut-price tour industry. Therefore, the Tourism Bureau decided to hold a meeting with industry stakeholders to review poor-quality travel packages. Decisions made include that from today high-risk one-day tours from Taipei or Kaohsiung to Wuling or Qingjing Farms will be discontinued and any company that continues to offer these tours can be fined up to NT$50,000 for each violation. The Tourism Bureau announced that high-risk one-day tours must be discontinued and so travel companies offering these were immediately inundated with phone calls. ==TRAVEL COMPANY== The Wuling trip you are asking about has been discontinued by the Tourism Bureau. The heavy death toll in the Iris Travel Service coach crash caused the TB to review cut-price one-day tours. On Feb. 21 it held a meeting for industry stakeholders at which it was decided that one day tours from Taipei or Kaohsiung to Alishan, Wuling or Qingjing must be immediately discontinued. Also, that coach tour drivers on mountain routes must not drive over 200 kilometers a day and on level, routes must not drive over 300 kilometers a day. However, if there were a change of drivers or other shuttle transport, it would not be illegal. ==CHANG HSI-TSUNG Dep. Dir-Gen. Tourism Bureau== One-day tours departing from Taipei or Kaohsiung to Guanwu, Hualien, Taipingshan, Qingjing, Lishan and so on, these long journeys will be reviewed and the industry will make adjustments. The TB emphasized that high-risk one-day tours must be stopped. Industry members said that they had started to notify customers of cancellations and would make full refunds. The TB also made a new regulation that drivers must not drive over 300 kilometers a day. However, a return trip to Taichung is over 300 kilometers, so unless there is another coach to take over, then it would have to become a two-day trip. ==CHANG YANG-CHIEH industry member== The main impact is to raise the prices so that perhaps consumers may drive themselves as it would be more effective and the number of people taking tours through travel companies will fall, this is the impact that we are worried about. The industry feels that the long one day tours to Alishan or Wuling are still feasible, but will need another vehicle and driver so that the cost will be 50 percent higher. The TB said this change will make domestic tourism safer and educate consumers to consider safety when choosing a tour. TRANSLATED BY：CLARE LEAR 國道翻車傷亡意外，重創國旅形象，也暴露出低價一日團的問題。為了檢討不良旅遊產品，觀光局召集相關業者開會決定，即日起，從台北或高雄出發到武陵及清境農場等一日遊高風險行程，必需立即下架，違反規定，最高每次罰五萬。 觀光局宣布，一日遊高風險產品必須立即下架，旅行社這邊馬上接到取消電話。 ==旅行社業者== 您詢問的武陵行程的部分 目前依觀光局的部分(規定) 一日遊行程都要先做下架 蝶戀花旅行社翻車造成重大傷亡事件，觀光局決定檢討低價一日國旅團。上午召集相關業者開會後決議，從台北或高雄出發，到阿里山、武陵農場、清境農場等一日遊行程，立即下架，未來旅行團遊覽車行駛山區道路每天不得超過200公里，平面道路每天最多不超過300公里，不過若有替換駕駛改由其他車輛接駁，就不算違規。 ==觀光局副局長 張錫聰== 一日從台北出發 或是從高雄出發 拉到像是觀霧 花蓮 太平山 拉到清境梨山等 這些長時間拉車 時間比較長的產品 來做一些檢視 讓業者來調整 觀光局強制規定高風險的一日遊，必須下架，業者表示，已經陸續通知遊客取消，並且會全額退費。而新規定遊覽車平路不得超過300公里，但一日遊只要到台中，來回就超過300公里，不是要派兩輛車接駁，就是得改成兩天行程。 ==業者 張洋榤== 衝擊主要是整個費用會提高 可能消費者自己會改成 自己開車的機率會也會提高 甚至透過旅行社(出遊)機率會降低 這是我們可能會擔心的衝擊 業者認為，未來像是要到武陵或是阿里山這樣長途的一日遊，還是可以操作，只是要多派一輛車輛接駁，成本也會多出50%。觀光局表示，透過這次的變革，除了可以讓觀光業更加安全，也希望培養民眾在選擇旅行團時，應該以安全為優先考量。 記者李志華 林志堅 台北報導