Mainland Tourists are not Passersby

Mainland Tourists are not Passersby
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
April 28, 2009

As predicted, problems have arisen as the number of mainland tourists arriving on Taiwan has rapidly increased. Taiwan's tourism industry is clearly inadequate in both quantity and quality. More importantly, the government and the tourism industry must disabuse themselves of the myth of quantifiable business opportunities. Only then will Taiwan's tourism industry be able to make something of itself.

The government has been promoting mainland tourism on based on how long a mainland tourist stays on Taiwan and how much he spends each day. The total purportedly constitutes the increase in tourist revenue, the amount of foreign exchange earned, and the employment opportunities created. The government uses statistics to calculate the effectiveness of its policies. These calculations reveal the government and the tourism industry's mindset. Because the mainland has a population of 1.3 billion, local tour operators have treated mainland tourists not as Taiwan's guests. Instead they have myopically viewed each mainland tourist as a one-time business opportunity. They have viewed mainland tourists as passersby. That is why problems with mainland tourists have rapidly increased.

One. One mainland tour group's visa applications were not correctly filed. Without an entry permit the entire tour group was forced to return on the same plane. This revealed communication problems between the two sides. Two. Some tour groups overbooked, then found themselves unable to provide enough tour buses, forcing tourists to wait at the airport. Three. More and more tour guides complain that the three must-see tourist destinations for mainland tourists have problems. The dining facilities at Alishan require standing in line. The National Palace Museum has turned into a farm market. Sun Moon Lake is now littered with trash. All these circumstances were predictable, but we have yet to see any attempt to improve the situation. In particular, price competition within the industry, including below cost price wars, kickbacks from shops, a reduction in the number of tourist attractions, and changing modes of transportation to reduce costs, have led to a decline in the quality of tourism.

The other side is allowing the mainland public to visit Taiwan. Naturally it has political motives. But it also constitutes a show of goodwill. It hopes that interaction between the two sides will reach from top to bottom, via non-governmental exchanges. It hopes to expand contacts to enhance mutual understanding. It hopes to eliminate misunderstanding and hostility. Yet when we encounter mainland tourists on Taiwan, all we see is dollar signs. This fails to make the best use of the opportunity. Worse, it allows mainland vistors to see that Taiwan lacks even a rudimentary understanding of hospitality. The minimal standards Taiwan's tourism industry require have been lost during the quantification of business opportunities.

The tourism industry must not merely make money from tourists. It must become the medium through which visitors can experience the quality of our life, the content of our culture, and the character of our people. The quality of a tourist's experience is the measure of a nation's quality of life. As Landis Hotels and Resorts President Stanley Yen put it, tourism is a way for Taiwan to make friends with the world. A single friendly experience can make a friend. Having made a friend, the rewards that can flow from such a friendship are endless. Conversely, one negative impression after another will lead to the loss of friends, and the loss of any opportunity to develop our tourism industry. If Taiwan wants to develop its tourism industry, it must not harbor only a desire to take tourists to the cleaners. This is true for mainland visitors or foreigners.

Large numbers of mainland tourists arriving on Taiwan provide us with the opportunity to develop our tourism industry. But the government and industry must stop treating mainland tourists as passersby. They must take concrete action. Mainland China will soon be restoring its May 1st long vacation. Government agencies responsible for reviewing and issuing permits to visit Taiwan should ensure that every visitor departs as happily as he arrived. Based on the number of visitors to Taiwan, they must assume an active role in coordinating transportation, dining, and living facilities, ensuring that they meet the surge in tourist demand, As for cases already being dealt with, the relevant authorities should control tourist volume. Until the overall quality of service has been upgraded, they should maintain a strict limit of 3000 tourists a day. They must not use previously unfilled quotas. The purpose is not to limit quanity, but to control quality. In addition, the government must better evaluate and manage travel agencies. It may use quota allocations as an incentive, to prevent cutthroat competition.

The Executive Yuan recently passed its "Tourism Pilot Project." It intends to invest 30 billion NT in a four-year Tourism Development Fund to create 550 billion NT in business opportunities. The government's plans are extravagant and ambitious. But developing tourism requires more than paper planning. It requires a wide range of industries and services. From the executive branch it requires entry and exit permits. From the aviation industry it requires quality flight services. From travel agencies it requires itinerary planning and professional standards for tour guides. From the hotel industry it requires quality facilities and trained personnel. To create a tourist attraction requires efficient transportation routes and even high quality public toilets. It requires efficient cooperation between public authority and private creativity to link all these into a sustainable tourism industry. This is not merely about earning foreign exchange. It is also about improving the quality of life on Taiwan.

We must not view tourists arriving on Taiwan as cash cows to be milked, regardless of where they come from. We must make improvements based on our visitors' perceptions. We must then impress visitors with the improvements we have made.

勿將陸客當路客：觀光業要永續經營
【聯合報╱社論】
2009.04.28 05:47 am

果不其然，當初規劃開放大陸人民來台觀光時預期可能出紕漏的問題，隨著陸客來台人數的急速增加，一個個冒了出來。顯然，台灣觀光產業的量與質都還不夠水準；更重要的是，在數量商機的迷思下，政府及觀光業的心態都需要大大的調整，台灣觀光業才有可為。

政府推銷陸客觀光，是依一個大陸客在台停留多久、每天花費多少，合計為觀光業增加多少營收、為台灣經濟帶進多少外匯收益及創造多少就業機會，在做標榜，亦即用數字計算政策收益。這樣的計算方式正凸顯了政府及業者的心態，因為大陸有十三億人口，國內旅遊業者沒把陸客當成來台灣做客的旅客，反而存著每個大陸人做一次生意就能賺飽的短線心理，把陸客當成是偶爾經過的路客，於是所有的問題都隨著陸客的快速增加而一一浮現。

其一，有大陸旅行團來台簽證作業不及，在未獲入境許可下整團原機遣返，這代表雙方的溝通出問題；其二是旅行社承攬過多陸客團，卻因租不到遊覽車而讓陸客在機場空等；其三是愈來愈多的導遊抱怨，陸客團必去的三大景點──阿里山用餐須得排隊、故宮有如菜市場、日月潭變髒。這一切都在預期之中，卻迄未見改善之對策；尤其是業者殺價競爭，以低於成本的價格搶生意，再另以商店購物賺回扣、減少旅遊景點、改變交通工具等降低成本，導致旅遊品質節節下降。

彼岸開放大陸民眾來台旅遊，難謂沒有政治目的，既是展現善意，也是期待兩岸間互動能由上層往下普及到民間交流，以擴大接觸而增進了解，進而消除彼此的誤解及敵意；但我們對陸客來台，腦袋裡想到的卻盡是鈔票，不只沒有善用這個機會，讓彼岸人民看到台灣的風土民情、文化內涵、生活品味，更連基本的待客之道都沒有，台灣觀光業應有的水準顯已迷失在完全數字化的商機裡。

觀光產業不能只是賺來客的錢，更是希望成為來客能親身體驗我國生活水準、文化內涵及人民素質的最直接媒介，是國家總體生活機能的總檢驗。所以，一如亞都麗緻飯店集團總裁嚴長壽所言，觀光旅遊是「讓台灣和世界交朋友」，一次友善的體驗、交上了朋友，可以讓朋友源源不斷而來；反之，一次又一次打壞印象，朋友一個個流失，觀光產業不可能發展起來；台灣要發展觀光產業，就不能存著只撈來客一把的心理，不管來客是大陸人還是外國人。

大陸為數龐大的觀光客，正是台灣發展觀光產業的契機，但政府及業者將陸客當路客的心態必須改變，並須有相應的作法。在短期內，大陸五一長假將屆，負責審理、核發來台許可的政府機關，應儘速依據陸客來台人數，積極協調相關的交通、餐飲及住宿服務，以滿足陸客激增的需求，做到讓每位來客乘興而來、盡興而去；至於處理中的案件，政府主管機關應做好總額控管，在整體服務質量尚未提升之前，應嚴守每日三千人上限，不能再移用之前未用滿的額度；須知此一上限的目的不在控管數量，而在控管品質。再者，政府必須強化旅行社的評鑑及管理，並以名額的分配做為誘因，不容惡質競爭下去。

行政院最近通過「觀光拔尖領航計畫」，打算在四年內投入三百億元觀光發展基金，以創造五千五百億元商機。政府的規劃洋洋灑灑，但觀光業的發展不只是紙上作業的規劃，其涉及的產業及服務廣泛，從行政部門的入出境許可、航空業的飛航品質、旅行社的行程規劃及導遊的專業水準、觀光飯店的軟硬體設施、旅遊景點的打造、交通動線的效率，甚至公共廁所的品質等，可謂公權力與民間創意、效率的大結合，而能緊密串起這一切的共同認知是永續經營台灣觀光產業的心。這不只是創匯而已，更是在改善台灣自己的生活品質。

對於任何的來台觀光客，都不能只從如何賺錢的角度思考；必須從來客的感受中切實改善自我，亦從改善自我後的成效來感動來客。