By / MOOK Travel Life Network Editorial Team Compilation & Report
As the summer travel season peaks, to protect consumer rights, the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has published the operational status of travel agencies in the first half of 2015 (from January 22 to June 16), which includes 3 agencies whose licenses were revoked, 3 that voluntarily suspended operations, and 8 that applied for dissolution.
The Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has released a list of 14 questionable travel agencies. (Image source / layoverguide)
The Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has published a list of questionable travel agencies in accordance with the Development of Tourism Act. Among them:Taipei City Youmei International,Taichung City Galaxy,Taipei City Jixing— these three travel agencies had their licenses revoked for failing to pay insurance premiums within the stipulated period; whileTaichung City Daxiong,New Taipei City Dongzhou,Taichung City Rixinghave each voluntarily suspended operations until the first half of 2016. In addition,Taipei City Liujii,Changhua County Jinlihai,Taipei City Happy Land,Taipei City Shengxing,Taipei City Global Tour,Taichung City Haoshuai,Kaohsiung City’s Baxian,Yunlin County’s Changxinand 8 other travel agencies have applied for dissolution.
In addition, the Tourism Bureau reminds travelers to take note of the following when participating in travel activities organized by travel agencies or purchasing international flight tickets:
● Choosing a legally licensed travel agency to sign a travel contract offers greater protection. Be sure to confirm that the person you deal with is a qualified tourism industry professional.
● Before signing a contract with a travel agency, be sure to carefully read the contract terms and itinerary details. It is advisable to also inquire about the travel agency’s business status. When making payments, request an official receipt for collection and payment, and confirm that the agency has secured performance guarantee insurance as well as liability insurance prior to departure. Additionally, travelers may consider purchasing travel accident insurance based on personal needs. In the event of any disputes after signing the contract, you may submit relevant receipts and contracts in writing to the Travel Quality Assurance Association (11F, No. 78, Section 2, Chang’an East Road, Taipei) or the Tourism Bureau (9F, No. 290, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei) for complaint.
● Before traveling abroad, please check whether your passport is valid for at least six months. If the validity period is insufficient, apply for a renewal as soon as possible.
Travelers can use the Tourism Bureau’s toll-free number 0800-211734 or the Travel Quality Assurance Association’s complaint hotline 02-25068185 for travel consultations. Additionally, if travelers encounter emergencies abroad, they can seek assistance from the “Foreign Emergency Rescue Contact Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Global Toll-Free Number: 800-0885-0885).”
In addition, the Tourism Bureau reminds travelers to take note of the following when participating in travel activities organized by travel agencies or purchasing international flight tickets:
● Choosing a legally licensed travel agency to sign a travel contract offers greater protection. Be sure to confirm that the person you deal with is a qualified tourism industry professional.
● Before signing a contract with a travel agency, be sure to carefully read the contract terms and itinerary details. It is advisable to also inquire about the travel agency’s business status. When making payments, request an official receipt for collection and payment, and confirm that the agency has secured performance guarantee insurance as well as liability insurance prior to departure. Additionally, travelers may consider purchasing travel accident insurance based on personal needs. In the event of any disputes after signing the contract, you may submit relevant receipts and contracts in writing to the Travel Quality Assurance Association (11F, No. 78, Section 2, Chang’an East Road, Taipei) or the Tourism Bureau (9F, No. 290, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei) for complaint.
● Before traveling abroad, please check whether your passport is valid for at least six months. If the validity period is insufficient, apply for a renewal as soon as possible.
Travelers can use the Tourism Bureau’s toll-free number 0800-211734 or the Travel Quality Assurance Association’s complaint hotline 02-25068185 for travel consultations. Additionally, if travelers encounter emergencies abroad, they can seek assistance from the “Foreign Emergency Rescue Contact Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Global Toll-Free Number: 800-0885-0885).”
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