The number of Vietnamese tour operators eligible to participate in the Kuan Hung visa program, which allows tour groups from certain Southeast Asian countries to visit Taiwan with fewer requirements, has now fallen by half to 57, according to the Taiwanese Tourism Bureau.

Staff of a Taiwanese travel firm introduce Taiwan tourism in HCMC. The number of Vietnamese tour operators eligible for the Kuan Hung visa program has fallen by half 

The new roster includes popular groups, such as Fiditour, Lien Bang Travelink, Vietravel, Saigontourist, TransViet, Ben Thanh Tourist, Lua Viet Tours, Golden Sea, TST Tourist, Vietnamtourism, Perfectourist, Hanoitourism, Intertour Vietnam, Vietmap and Trieu Hao Tourist.

The list was announced some days after the Taiwanese Tourism Bureau said that the territory would resume issuing Kuan Hung visas beginning March 20, after a two-month suspension due to the disappearance of 152 Vietnamese tourists in Taiwan in late 2018.

However, Kuan Hung visa applicants will now be subject to more stringent regulations. Tour groups to Taiwan under the Kuan Hung visa program must go through customs checkpoints with their tour leaders and the tourists and their tour leaders must arrive and leave the territory at the same time.

In addition, tour operators caught violating the e-visa regulations will face harsh penalties. If their tourists stay beyond the stipulated duration, or up to three of them seek to flee into the territory, applications for future e-visas will be rejected for two months. The travel firm will also be eliminated from the roster if more than six tourists registered with it go missing.

The Taiwanese Tourism Bureau said that Vietnamese travel firms mentioned in the list may apply for Kuan Hong visas starting March 15, while other markets will begin their registrations on March 20.

The Kuan Hung Visa Program is offered by the Taiwanese Tourism Bureau to certain markets, including Vietnam. The program offers free-of-charge visas to tourists and has simple rules with regards to providing proof of financial conditions and labor contracts.

SGT