TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taipei City-based “We Love Tour” travel agency will have to suspend its operations for three months because it mishandled tours to Vietnam also due to other financial issues, the Tourism Administration said Friday (Feb. 16).
The case broke during the Lunar New Year holiday when it emerged that the company’s customers on a visit to the Vietnamese resort island of Phu Quoc were asked to pay an extra US$720 (NT$22.500) if they wanted to continue their itinerary. The incident was the result of a payment dispute between We Love Tour and a local agency, Vietnam WInnER International Travel Co., Ltd.
The Tourism Administration said the inspectors it sent to visit the offices of We Love Tour on Feb. 13 and Feb. 15 found the company had debts totaling more than NT$10 million, per the Liberty Times. The sum included NT$1 million owed to a hotel in the Maldives.
The three-month suspension according to the Consumer Protection Act was necessary to safeguard the interests of travelers, officials said. Customers who booked trips during the three-month period can receive their money back or agree to We Love Tour transferring them to another travel agency.
The suspension is likely to affect 430 travelers. A group of 16 left for Phu Quoc Friday after signing an agreement that only the flight tickets and hotel stay had been paid.