Accordingly, the ministry has instructed the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei to contact local competent authorities to seek full information on the case and coordinate to settle the issue. The move aims to ensure that there is no negative impact on tourism activities and people-to-people exchanges between the two sides.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and relevant agencies are urged to cooperate in handling the case.

Taiwanese authorities said that investigation is underway into the case. In the immediate future, Taiwan plans to stop granting group visas for the Vietnam-based International Holidays Trading Travel Company which arranged itineraries for the missing tourists.-VNA