Around 150 Vietnamese tourists who were part of an organised tour by an unlicensed tourism company continue to remain missing after they absconded.
On December 21, a group of Vietnamese tourists started the 4-day trip to Taiwan organised by Golden Travel Trade and Tourism Company. On December 24, the tour guide said no one came to the agreed meeting location. A similar situation occurred with three tourist groups who started the trip to Taiwan on December 23 organised by Twin Bright Company who also failed to meet with their guide on December 26.
Taiwanese travel agency, ETholiday, quickly reported the case to Taiwanese Tourism Bureau.
Phan Ngoc Hanh, director of International Holidays Trading Travel Company, said they were only asked by ETholiday to help the tourists to apply for visas and weren’t involved in the organization of the trip. However, HCM City Department of Tourism said they had violated the law when processing tourist visas without arranging any tours or tour guides.
One of the two companies that organised the trips, Twin Bright Company, doesn’t have a licence for organising overseas trips. Golden Travel was only given the licence two months ago.
Ngo Hoai Chung, deputy director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, told Tuoi Tre Online that he suspected that this might be a human trafficking ring for illegal workers. This is the first time such a huge number Vietnamese nationals have tried to disappear in another country.
Chung worried that this case may badly affect the image of Vietnam and visa policy toward Vietnamese citizens. Taiwan has already suspended the granting of tourist group visas for those from Vietnam.
The Taiwanese National Immigration Agency announced that they had found three of the missing people on December 26. The tourists are accused of violating the Human Trafficking Prevention Act, the Immigration Law, and the Employment Services Act.
The agency has set up a task force to investigate and search for the missing people after being informed about the case. They had established contact with one who was previously reported missing, while three others are said to have already left the country.
The tourists arrived in Taiwan under a special programme that allows convenient visa applications for tourist groups from south and southeast asia, if they are organised by supposedly good-quality travel agencies. The Taiwanese authorities said they would revise the programme after this incident.
Source: Dtinews