Taiwan tourism pledge

Time : 2009-04-22

THE mainland-based Cross-Strait Tourism Exchange Association (CTEA) said yesterday that it would work closely with its Taiwan counterpart to avoid mainland tourists being sent back over travel permit problems.

The statement came after 37 tourists from Shenyang, Liaoning Province, were sent home on Saturday because they did not have adequate entry permits, according to Taiwan media reports.

The group arrived at Songshan Airport in Taipei just before 3pm without proper entry permits or an official registration number, according to the Taipei Times.

The group had to leave at 4:40pm on the same Xiamen Airlines aircraft.

The carrier was later fined by the Taiwan-based National Immigration Agency for carrying passengers without entry permits. Initial inquiries showed that a travel agency in Shenyang had applied for entry permits on behalf of the tourists and their guide but the applications had not arrived in Taiwan in time.

CTEA has blamed technical problems for the delay and pledged to work with its Taiwan counterpart, the Taiwan Strait Tourism Association, to avoid similar cases.