Mainland Tourists are More than Just Dollar Signs

Mainland Tourists are More than Just Dollar Signs
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 19, 2011

Summary: The number of Mainland tourists visiting Taiwan has fallen off recently as a result of the recession. Group tours were once filled to overflowing. But second quarter numbers have fallen off sharply, The numbers for the newly implemented Free and Independent Travel Policy are also much lower than expected. What is the problem? So far the government and the tourism industry haven't a clue. That may be the most serious problem of all.

Full Text below:

The number of Mainland tourists visiting Taiwan has fallen off recently as a result of the recession. Group tours were once filled to overflowing. But second quarter numbers have fallen off sharply, The numbers for the newly implemented Free and Independent Travel Policy are also much lower than expected. What is the problem? So far the government and the tourism industry haven't a clue. That may be the most serious problem of all.

The number of Mainland tourists visiting Taiwan as part of group tours fell off this spring. The tourism industry inititally attributed the decline to the overly restrictive nature of group tours, Cutthroat competition within the travel industry also led to lowball bids and poor service, Therefore observers predicted that large numbers of Mainland tourists would switch to individual travel under the Free and Independent Travel Policy Act. The Free and Independent Travel Policy Act went into effect in June. But by the end of the month, only 500 tourists had arrived on Taiwan, only slightly more than the quota for a single day. The assumption that tourists would switch from group tours to individual tourism the Free and Independent Travel Policy was apparently mistaken.

Tourism Bureau officials believe the main reasons for the decline are the plasticizing agent scandal and Alishan train accidents. Overcrowding at the National Palace Museum and other attractions have also dampened visitor interest. Indeed, transportation safety, service quality, as well as Taiwan's overall credibilty and image, are all factors that have affected visitor interest. Taiwan opened itself up to Mainland tourism only three years ago. Has fatigue already set in after such a brief period? Is Mainland tourism to Taiwan merely a flash in the pan? If that is the case, then the quality of our tourism services and tourism facilities are substandard and not sustainable in the long term. Are these factors sufficient to explain the decline in Mainland tourism to Taiwan? If not, what other factors are there?

Mainland tourists have never come to Taiwan purely for the sake of tourism. For Mainland tourists, Taiwan's primarly selling point is the 50 year long separation between the two sides. Relatives and friends can now be reunified. They can experience the economic and social contrast between democracy and authoritarianism. They can satisfly their curiosity about each other, learn about each other, learn from each other, compete against each other, amidst a "quasi-divided" state of affairs. Two years ago Taiwan opened itself up to Mainland tourism. Mainland tourists replaced Japanese tourists as Taiwan's most important source of tourism revenue. Why? Because many Mainland tourists want to see with their own eyes the symbolic differences between the two sides that have resulted from a half-century of separation. They want to experience for themselves another model of development for the Chinese people. Therefore, if we insist on seeing Mainland tourists to Taiwan merely as "business opportunities," we will inevitably make the mistake of focusing on short term profits.

Cross-Strait exchanges involve the more complex problem of politics. This has two aspects. On Taiwan, the opposition DPP opposes opening the island to Mainland tourism. Not everyone agrees that is a good thing. Not everyone is happy about it. As a result, Mainland tourists are strictly limited in their movements. They are not permitted to leave their tour groups. Free movement is prohibited. Travel agents are made liable for any violations. This discriminates against Mainland tourists. It also encourages the tourism industry to find ways to evade system oversight. We want the business opportunities afforded by Mainland tourists. But we refuse to offer Mainland tourists reasonable treatment. Alas, the government is utterly oblivious about its own internal contradictions. It is even less interested in seeking ways to remedy the situation.

Mainland tourists visiting Taiwan also involve a hidden variable in cross-Strait political relations. To a considerable extent, cross-Strait policy requires Beijing's cooperation, and its belief in the Ma administration's good faith. This however, forces the administration to exercise greater discretionary authority in response to the gray area. For example, rumor has it that the first 200 visitors traveling under the Free and Independent Travel Policy were mobilized by the Beijing authorities, If true, this cannot help but distort the nature of what ensues. Also, election season is approaching. The government has asked Beijing to reduce the number of political and business visits, in order to avoid harming the ruling party's election prospects, Such a move is highly artificial. Many Mainland visitors want to come to Taiwan to witness the elections, "up close and personal," But they are forbidden to do so out of political considerations. Outsiders cannot see what is going on behind the scenes. This makes finding a remedy even more difficult.

Mainland visitors to Taiwan can help the two sides understand each other, This is indisputable. But government and business choose to see the matter as nothing more than business. The government boasts about waves of tourists spreading money around. Businesses think only of Mainland tourists' immense purchasing power. Both value only group size, purchasing power, and making a fast buck. As for how to provide the commensurate services, how to showcase Taiwan's sophistication, how to to leave a good impression, those are matters they cannot be bothered with.

The plasticizer scandal severely damaged Taiwan's image. The Alishan train accidents and Suhua Highway accidents have also dampened tourist enthusiasm, But a far more serious is Mainland tourists who have concluded that "Taiwanese are no longer honest." When they return to the Mainland and speak of their disillusionment, more and more people will have second thoughts. Tourism industry insiders on Taiwan have expressed regrets over the self-destructive myopia of their industry peers, including hotels and stores. Can a market that kills the goose that lays the golden egg have a future?

The number of Mainland visitors has decline, But if they enjoy greater freedom of movement, if they can travel in greater safety, if they can have more fun, that may not be a bad thing. Taiwanese visitors to the Mainland have also experienced incidents in which they were treated as "dai bao" (clueless tourists). Who wants such unpleasant experiences repeated with Mainland tourists to Taiwan? More importantly, Mainland tourists' fascination with Taiwan must not be destroyed by businessmen interested only in making a fast buck. Perhaps Taipei and Beijing have not had sufficient time to implement their plans. But they must, if tourism exchanges are to enhance mutual understanding.

陸客來台不能只論「商機」
【聯合報╱社論】
2011.08.19 02:26 am

最近陸客來台出現衰退現象，不僅原來爆滿的旅行團第二季起大幅退燒，新開放的「自由行」人數亦遠低於預期。其中癥結究竟為何，政府和旅行業者至今都還說不出所以然，這恐怕才是更嚴重的問題。

今春陸客旅遊團來台人數驟降，當時旅行業研判，認為是團體旅遊限制太多，加上業者低價搶客導致旅遊品質不佳，因此預期許多陸客將大量轉向自由行。然而，驗證六月底自由行開放一個月來台人數才五百多人，僅略高於一天的開放量，足見「自由行取代團遊」的說法尚難立足。

觀光局官員則認為，這主要是受塑化劑風波及阿里山火車翻覆事件的衝擊，包括故宮等景點過度擁擠也敗壞參觀遊興。的確，交通安全、旅遊品質乃至台灣整體誠信形象，都是影響遊興的深層因素；但台灣開放陸客觀光不過三年，如果歷經短暫的曇花一現即進入了疲怠期，則不啻顯示我們的觀光軟硬體架構不堪一擊。若這些因素仍不足以解釋全部的現象，那麼陸客來台的減退，還有什麼可能的原因？

從本質而言，陸客來台從來不是一種純純粹粹的觀光活動。對陸客而言，台灣的賣點主要是建立在兩岸五十年分隔的對應關係上，由此衍生出親友的離散再重聚、民主與威權體制的對比、經濟體質與社會價值的差異等，彼此在「分而不裂」的關係中互相好奇、參照、學習與競爭。在開放觀光兩年後，陸客即取代日本成為台灣最重要的客源，原因在此。許多陸客來台，是想要親眼見證兩岸分治半世紀的各種象徵、傳說與差異，乃至體驗華人社會的另一種發展模式。因此，若把陸客來台定位為「觀光商機」，勢必因著眼於近利而產生偏差。

兩岸交流更複雜的面向是政治。這又可以分成兩方面來看：在台灣內部，因為在野黨的反對，開放陸客並不是全台同感欣然的共識；也因此，政策上要對陸客活動嚴格設限，防範脫隊、禁止自由行動、對旅行社課以重責。這不僅是對陸客的歧視，也讓台灣對觀光出現目的與手段背離的管理：既想要陸客的商機，又不給其合理的旅遊待遇。遺憾的是，政府對此矛盾毫無自覺，更遑論有何改進的機制。

此外，在兩岸政治關係上，也潛藏著陸客來台觀光的一個隱性變數。現行的兩岸政策某種程度是倚賴北京對馬政府的「善意」配合，但這也增加了行政操縱的模糊地帶。例如，據傳首批自由行旅客中有兩百人是北京所動員，不免使盛事失真；再如近期大選逼近，我方主動要求對岸政商減少來訪，以免因故波及執政黨選情，操作也顯得極不自然。相對的，不少陸客希望此時來台見識選戰交鋒，卻可能因政治考量而無法獲准。正因為外界無法窺知其間的操作，也使得對症下藥越發困難。

陸客來台有助兩岸的多面向交流和理解，這是不爭的事實；但在實務面，不論政府或業者卻都只把此事當成「商機」操作：政府誇示的是龐大觀光人潮的擴散效益，業者心動的是陸客強大的購買力。也因此，雙方重視的就是出團人數、購買金額，如何讓對方掏出荷包。至於如何提供相稱的服務，如何表現台灣的氣質，如何留下美好的印象，都難以顧及。

塑化劑風暴重創台灣的品質形象，阿里山和蘇花高的交通事故也會讓觀光客卻步，但這些都比不上來台陸客覺得「台灣人不再誠實」來得嚴重。因為他們帶回去的失望評價，將使更多人觀望不前。聽國內旅行業對同業、飯店、賣場的短視作風發出「自作孽」的感嘆，一個殺雞取卵的市場，如何會近悅遠來？又如何能經營長久？

陸客人數減少，若能換得更多自由行動、更多旅遊安全及樂趣，未嘗不是件好事。台灣人遊大陸，也經歷過「呆胞」的階段，誰希望不愉快的經驗在陸客身上重演？重要的是，陸客來台的興致，不能毀在第一線商人的唯利是圖，或者兩岸政府言不及行的操作上，這樣，觀光交流才有增進理解的意義。