Beware of losing the battle and the war too—Five Key Winter Vacation Overseas Travel Tips

▲The Tourism Bureau outlines five key points to remind travelers, helping ensure your winter vacation isn’t spoiled. (Image / Sourced from http://www.oddee.com/)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

As the winter vacation travel rush approaches, the public must exercise caution when joining tour groups to avoid disputes and spoiling their trip. The Tourism Bureau reminds travelers of the following precautions when participating in travel agency activities or purchasing international flight tickets:

1.Choose a licensed and legitimate travel agencyto arrange your travel activities, and make sure the person you’re dealing with is a qualified tourism industry professional. Information on licensed travel agencies, industry professionals, certified tour leaders and guides, travel group precautions, as well as the list of operators mentioned above, can be found on the bureau’sAdministrative Information Networkunder the Consumer Protection section.

Additionally, for quarterly reference prices of tour groups, please check theTravel Industry Quality Assurance Association (hereinafter referred to as the TIQAA) websitefor comparisons.

2.Before signing a contract with a travel agency, be sure to read the contract terms carefully, and it’s advisable to visit the agency’s office to assess its operations. When making payments, request a receipt for collection and payment and confirm that the travel agency has secured performance bond insurance and liability insurance prior to departure. Travelers may also consider purchasing additional travel insurance based on personal needs.

In case of disputes after signing the contract, you may submit a written complaint along with relevant receipts and the contract to the TIQAA (11F, No. 78, Section 2, Chang’an East Road, Taipei) or the Tourism Bureau (9F, No. 290, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei).

3. International flight tickets come with varying usage and refund policies depending on price differences, such as promotional tickets often being subject to stricter usage restrictions. It is recommended that travelers fully understand the relevant information and compare options before purchasing to ensure their rights are protected.

When collecting tickets, remember to check the flight details, especially if you're flying to regions with complex transportation arrangements (Image / Sourced from Eastern News)

4. Before travelingIf your passport has less than six months' validity remaining, please apply for a renewal as soon as possible at the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or at its four branch offices in central, southern, eastern, and Yunlin-Kaohsiung-Tainan regions.

Those who have already applied are reminded to collect their passports before departure to avoid being unable to do so during holidays, which may affect your travel plans. Also, please be advised that the Bureau of Consular Affairs at Taoyuan International Airport gives priority to emergency and distress cases. Therefore, it will not be able to process urgent passport issuance requests from nationals traveling for tourism or business—non-emergency situations. Additionally, travel agencies are urged, when handling flight bookings or travel arrangements, to inform passengers via SMS, email, or briefing sessions, and help them check the validity of their passports.

V.In light of several recent cases of group diarrhea outbreaks among travelers abroad, travel agencies and tourists are advised to visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website before departure to stay updated on international disease conditions and preventive measures.During the trip, choose dining locations carefully, and remind travelers to pay attention to food hygiene and personal cleanliness.Such as washing hands frequently, avoiding raw or cold food, and refraining from drinking water or beverages that are not in sealed packaging or have not been boiled. If any group member shows suspected symptoms, the tour leader should assist them in seeking medical treatment immediately and report to the epidemic prevention hotline 1922 (call +886-800-001922 overseas). Upon returning to Taiwan and arriving at the airport, they should also proactively inform CDC quarantine officers.

The Tourism Bureau stated that for travel inquiries, you can call their toll-free number 0800-211734 or the quality assurance association’s toll-free complaint line 0800-558185. Additionally, if travelers encounter emergencies abroad, they can seek help from the “Overseas Emergency Contact Center for ROC Nationals Abroad (Global Toll-Free Number: 800-0885-0885).”

Furthermore, to protect consumer rights, the Tourism Bureau has also announced the operational status of travel agencies during the period from November 1 to December 31, 2013, as follows:
I. Travel agencies whose licenses were revoked: Feichi (Taipei City), Xiangyang (Kaohsiung City), Little Sun Holidays (Penghu County)
II. Businesses Suspended from Operation: Lianjiali International (suspended from handling outbound and domestic travel services for travelers until 2014/2/12, Taipei City)
III. Businesses That Voluntarily Applied for Suspension: Yangfan (suspended until 2014/10/31, New Taipei City), Yafan Dao (suspended until 2014/11/17, Kaohsiung City), Page International (suspended until 2014/12/1, Taipei City), Jinran (suspended until 2014/12/25, Taipei City)
IV. Dissolved Businesses: Xiangxiang (New Taipei City), Jiatai (Pingtung County), Feibaodao (Taipei City)