The Sunflower Student Movement triggers clashes; tourism and aviation industries worry about impact on sightseeing

▲ The Sunflower Student Movement triggers clashes, with tourism and aviation industries worried about the impact on sightseeing. (Photo / Reporter Chen Mingren)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

The 318 Sunflower Student Movement has entered its eighth day. The recent clashes resulting from the siege of the Executive Yuan have caused concern within the domestic tourism industry. The Taiwan Visitors Association, the Republic of China Travel Agents Association National Federation, the Republic of China Travel Quality Assurance Association, and the Taipei Air Transport Business Association jointly issued a statement, expressing hope that the government and the public can respond peacefully and rationally to avoid impacting Taiwan’s tourism industry.

The statement pointed out that recently, the “Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement” has triggered social unrest and drawn attention from all sectors, even leading to intense clashes. The tourism and aviation industries expressed deep concern over the situation. The tourism sector is striving for social stability and order, and hopes that the government and the public can respond peacefully and rationally so that disputes can be resolved as soon as possible, avoiding any impact on the development of Taiwan’s tourism industry.

The statement also noted that when a country’s social order is unstable, it can cause significant harm and economic losses to the local tourism industry. Taiwan’s current chaotic situation, arising from the service trade controversy, has been widely reported by international media, drawing the attention of overseas tourism operators who are inquiring about safety issues related to traveling to Taiwan. The tourism industry respects the rational expression of opinions by all sectors, but is concerned that some illegal and disorderly behaviors may damage Taiwan’s long-established friendly tourism image and affect the willingness of foreign tourists to visit Taiwan.

The tourism industry generated nearly NT$350 billion in foreign exchange earnings for the country last year, and related sectors have also created a large number of job opportunities. Therefore, the Taiwan Visitors Association, the Republic of China Travel Agents Association National Federation, the Republic of China Travel Quality Assurance Association, and the Taipei Air Transport Business Association deeply hope that Taiwan’s society can quickly return to a stable state, in order to create the greatest benefits for all people in Taiwan.