Kenting National Park Service takes aim at beach umbrella disputes

Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) The Kenting National Park Service said Monday it is clamping down on confrontational beach umbrella vending practices on the national park's beaches, after visitors complained of being driven away for refusing to rent a vendor's parasol earlier this month.

In a statement released on Facebook on Monday, the park service said additional manpower has been deployed and inspections have been "strengthened" on both weekdays and weekends to "advise and rectify occupancy behavior."

The measures were introduced after a "verbal conflict" broke out between a group of tourists and an umbrella vendor on White Sand Beach on Aug. 7, according to the park service.

The tourists allegedly brought their own sunshade to the popular beach and planted it in front of an operator's "business area," resulting in the dispute.

"Umbrella rental is a long-standing business that has provided local residents with a livelihood and tourists with sun protection," the park service statement said.

At the same time, "operators cannot force people to rent umbrellas or drive away tourists who do not rent their umbrellas," the statement said.

If tourists place their umbrellas in "business areas," however, vendors can "guide" them to instead set up their umbrellas in "tourist areas," the park service said, without elaborating.

According to the park service, business operators have been empowered to rent out umbrellas within their contracted area in exchange for a yearly fee, as long as they also take on cleaning and maintenance responsibilities.

In addition to disputes between tourists and umbrella vendors, business owners themselves "often" had disputes with each other over the extent of their contracted areas, according to the park service.

Following continued criticism on PTT, a popular message board website, the park authorities announced on Aug. 22 that fines of NT$3,000 (US$94) will be levied for each violation of occupancy rules in line with the National Park Law.

The park service also acknowledged that some visitors had been dissatisfied with beach umbrellas impeding their enjoyment of sea views, particularly at Nanwan (South Bay) Beach.

The arrangement of umbrellas at Nanwan is "now more orderly" than before spacing rules were implemented, the park service in its Monday statement.

In all beach locations covered by the rules, umbrellas poles must be spaced 2.5 meters apart and arranged in a straight line. Every six umbrellas must also have a pathway at least three meters wide to provide access to them, they said.