Taiwan says China trip registration is voluntary for group travelers

Taipei, Sept. 3 (CNA) Taiwanese traveling to China in groups will not be forced to register their trips with the Taiwanese government, even under newly implemented rules requiring travel agencies to help clients do so, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Thursday.

"We only hope travel agencies can assist [with the registration], but if individuals are unwilling, they will not be forced," MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said at a regular news briefing in Taipei.

He said the government's voluntary online travel registration system is intended to help authorities keep track of Taiwanese travelers in China and provide assistance in the event of emergencies.

Liang cited an Aug. 26 flash flood near the Nepal-Tibet border as an example, saying the system showed that 51 Taiwanese had registered as being in Tibet at the time, giving authorities a general picture of how many Taiwanese were in the region.

His remarks came after the Tourism Administration recently instructed travel agencies to follow a set of requirements, beginning Sept. 1, when handling China-bound study tours and trips organized by travelers themselves

For each group, agencies are required to inform travelers of the risks of visiting China, assist them in completing the government's voluntary online travel registration, submit relevant statistics to authorities and ensure the group is covered by travel agency liability insurance.

Agencies that fail to complete the required documentation as prescribed can be fined between NT$10,000 (US$315) and NT$50,000 under regulations governing travel agencies.

Asked whether an agency would be exempt from responsibility if travelers declined to register after being informed of the requirement, Liang said, "If travelers are unwilling, of course no one can force them."

Taiwan currently allows independent travel to China but prohibits travel agencies from recruiting members of the general public to join group tours there.

Liang said another type of travel has become increasingly common, in which groups of friends or relatives organize themselves and then ask a travel agency to arrange their itinerary, accommodation, transportation and local guides in China.

Such self-organized groups do not fall under the current ban on travel agencies "actively recruiting" customers for China-bound group tours, according to MAC.

However, for self-organized groups using travel agency services, the government wants agencies to take "appropriate administrative measures," including informing travelers of the risks, keeping track of their itineraries, providing timely assistance in emergencies and helping them complete the registration, Liang reiterated.

The new requirements come ahead of China's implementation on Sept. 15 of new entry-exit regulations, which the MAC has warned could increase risks for Taiwanese visiting China.