The Government Must Create a Friendlier Environment for Tourism

The Government Must Create a Friendlier Environment for Tourism
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
October 26, 2012

Summary: The global economy has experienced a downturn. Tourism revenue has eased the impact of Taiwan's diminished exports. Taiwan must improve its tourism environment. This will ensure long-term profitability. It will also promote Taiwan's attractions and values in the international community. This deserves our support. It is something government agencies should work harder to achieve.

Full text below:

Tourists from the Chinese mainland have flooded into Taiwan. This has led to a significant increase in tourism revenue in recent years. But recently word emerged of foreign tourists being charged astronomical prices for fruits. Clearly government oversight of Taiwan tourism remains inadequate. The long term survival of the tourism industry depends upon word of mouth. If one fruit vendor charges rip off prices, the price will be paid by all. The agencies in charge must not allow one bad apple to spoil the entire barrel.

The Tourism Bureau has recently received numerous complaints from Mainland Chinese and Singaporean tourists. Some fruit vendors at the Shilin Night Market have been charging 1800 NT for pineapples. They have been charging 1100 NT for four bags of sliced fruit. Compare that to the market price, and it is clear they are ripping off foreign tourists. Needless to say, any positive impression of Taiwan the tourists might have had, will be utterly destroyed. After returning home, they may warn friends and relatives to steer clear of Taiwan. They may even post warnings on the Internet.

The follow-up was even more discouraging. The Tourism Bureau said these vendors were the responsibility of local governments. Between March and May of this year, the Taipei City Government received a series of reports from the Tourism Bureau. The Market Management Department of the Taipei City Government tracked and confirmed the incidents. It issued "Travelers Alerts" for five fruit vendors. It sent a letter to the Tourism Bureau of the MOTC, to be forwarded to travel agencies, advising tourists not to patronize these merchants. In other words, they advised travel agents to warn tourists to avoid these merchants. But they failed to issue alerts to individual tourists. Nor did they issue warnings to, or impose penalties upon vendors who charged rip off prices. The Shilin Night Market Council said the vendors were not members of their council. Therefore the council could not intervene.

What sort of oversight is this? Vendors remain free to charge rip off prices. Only travel agencies advise tourists to steer clear. But other tourists, traveling on their own, are left to fend for themselves? This sort of passive oversight turns overseers into accomplices. Foreign tourists are unaware of the market prices for fruit. These vendors exploit their lack of information, and take advantage of them. This is despicable. Is it even legal? Law enforcement agencies should clarify. Such behavior harms Taiwan's tourism industry. It results in a loss of revenue. It undermines the island's image. It discredits its tourism industry. The government agencies responsible must not tolerate such conduct.

Only rigorous oversight and strict penalties for unscrupulous businesspeople will ensure a sound business environment and quality service. Mainland tourists were charged astronomical prices for tea leaves in the past. But after the vendors were prosecuted, such incidents became infrequent. Therefore this is all undoable.

At the very least, vendors must clearly indicate their prices. That way the customer can make comparisons. The agencies responsible can issue some sort of sticker to vendors who operate above board, for the benefit of tourists. They can set up service and complaint centers nearby so that tourists may seek assistance.

Taiwan's tourism industry has made a real effort over the years. It has achieved a great deal. Last year the tourism industry earned over 11 billion USD in foreign exchange. It grew by 26.4%. Approximately 6.08 million tourists visited the island. This represents an 9.4% increase over the previous year. Tourism foreign exchange earnings and the number of international tourists rose to record highs. Mainland tourists still account for the lion's share. But Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korean tourists have also increased.

In the eyes of foreign tourists, Taiwan's main attractions are its cuisine, night markets, cultural diversity, natural beauty, and its human touch. That is why CNN's travel website lists Taiwan near the top of its list. But the tourism industry is a multi-faceted service industry. No link should be overlooked. Every link must be included. Take the Shihlin Night Market fruit price rip offs. They underscore the potential problems caused by neglect. Also, if Taiwan hopes to develop its tourism industry. it must increase the use of English.

For years, foreign tourists have complained about how unfriendly the environment is to foreigners who rely on English. Many places lack English signs. Others have chaotic signage. The same road may have several different translations. Halfway down the road, another name may appear. People wind up utterly confused. Foreigners wind up questioning the country's governance. Yet the administration seems to think the matter lacks urgency. The massive influx of tourists from the Mainland in recent years, who speak, read, and write Chinese, has masked the problem of a poor English environment.

The problem remains. According to the Tourism Bureau of the MOTC, South Korean tourists' satisfaction rating was only 75%. This was far lower than the 94.39% for tourists from other countries. Korean tourists were most dissatisfied with the lack of English communication skills among Taiwan public. Over 37% of all Korean tourists were troubled most by the tourism environment and language difficulties. They complained that roads and facilties lacked Korean signage.

The global economy has experienced a downturn. Tourism revenue has eased the impact of Taiwan's diminished exports. Taiwan must improve its tourism environment. This will ensure long-term profitability. It will also promote Taiwan's attractions and values in the international community. This deserves our support. It is something government agencies should work harder to achieve.

打造友善觀光環境 政府要加把勁

    2012-10-26
    中國時報

　在中國大陸觀光客大量湧入下，台灣近年來的觀光收入大增，但日前傳出天價水果坑殺外國遊客事件，凸顯政府對台灣旅遊環境的管理仍有不足。觀光事業的延續非常靠口碑，一攤賺黑心錢，代價大家賠，相關單位不能放任幾粒老鼠屎壞了台灣的整體聲譽。

　交通部觀光局日前接獲大陸及新加坡旅客投訴，士林夜市有攤商四粒鳳梨釋迦開價新台幣一千八百元，四袋水果切片要一千一百元。和行情價一比，這很明顯是在坑殺外國人，不消說，受害觀光客如果原先對台灣有美好印象，此時也完全毀了，甚至回國後警告親朋或上網昭告大家台灣行不得。

　但此事後續發展，卻更加令人失望。交通部觀光局說攤商是地方政府在管理，而台北市政府早在今年三月和五月就接獲觀光客舉報，台北市政府市場管理處追查後確認，將五個水果攤列為「旅遊警示」，並發函交通部觀光局轉知各旅行公會，建議旅客不要前往。換句話說，只是要旅行社告誡旅客迴避，並沒有對其他散客發出警示，也沒有警告或處罰黑心攤販。而士林夜市自治會則表示，那幾個攤子不屬於自治會的轄區，自治會無法可管。

　這是什麼管理？放任黑心攤商自由獵殺，而只能要旅行社帶團時閃遠一點，讓其他自由行觀光客自求多福？這種消極管理，不是黑心攤商的幫凶嗎？外國遊客不知道水果的一般行情，攤商利用他們在資訊上的弱勢詐財，是非常惡劣的欺騙行為，是否已構成違法，執法單位應該加以釐清。這種惡行令台灣觀光業無辜受害，造成國家形象與觀光收益損失，政府相關單位不能放任不管。

　唯有強力整頓管理，嚴懲不肖業者，才能建立起一個健全的經營環境，提供良好的服務品質。過去也曾發生過觀光區天價茶葉賣陸客的事情，但經過取締後，這類事件已經大幅減少。所以，這絕對不是做不到的事情。

　至少，攤商販售的商品如果清楚標示價格，顧客就可以作個比較；相關單位也可以對正派經營的攤商發給某種標示，供觀光客參考，並且設立服務與申訴中心，讓遊客可以就近反映。

　憑良心講，台灣這些年發展觀光產業，的確付出了許多努力，也獲致良好成果。去年觀光外匯收入超過一百一十億美元，年成長率達廿六．四％，入境旅客六○八萬人次，也較前一年成長九．三四％。觀光外匯收入與國際旅客數雙雙創下歷史新高，客源雖然仍以陸客為最大宗，但香港、新加坡、韓國客也頗有成長。

　在國際觀光客的評價裡，美食、夜市、多元文化、自然美景及熱情友善的人情味，都是台灣最吸引人的強項，也因此在美國有線新聞網（ＣＮＮ）旅遊網站排名上，台灣數一數二。但觀光業是一種多面向的服務業，每個環節都不能輕忽，而且必須整合，像士林夜市天價水果事件，就凸顯出三不管地帶可能造成的問題。此外，台灣要發展觀光，還有一個面向需要好好加強，那就是英語環境。

　長年以來，一再有外國觀光客反映，台灣的英文環境對老外非常不友善。許多地方不是缺乏英文標示，就是亂標一通，甚至同一條路有不同的譯名，走到一半換了另一個名字，讓人看得霧煞煞。外國人會因此對這個國家的治理打上大問號，但似乎政府上下沒有人認為這需要盡快解決。而近年來通中文的陸客湧入，也掩蓋了英文環境不佳問題的迫切性。

　但問題還是存在，例如在交通部觀光局的調查中，韓國旅客的滿意度七五％，就遠低於其他國家旅客的九四．三九％；而韓客最不滿意的，是台灣人英文溝通能力差，有三七％以上韓客反應，最困擾的就是旅遊環境與語言溝通，以及道路指標及設施少有韓文標示。

　在全球景氣低迷中，觀光收入緩和了外銷萎縮對台灣造成的衝擊。對台灣來說，加強改善台灣的觀光環境，不但可以創造長久的獲利，還能把台灣的美麗與價值行銷到國際社會，這值得我們付出努力，也是政府相關部門應該加把勁的課題。