新 聞 稿 中國國民黨文化傳播委員會 110.7.5
政府紓困不力，觀光旅遊民宿變慘業！
中國國民黨今(5)日召開「政府紓困不力，觀光旅遊民宿變慘業！」記者會，文傳會王育敏主委、交通委員會立委洪孟楷、社工部水雲翔主任等接獲業者陳情，觀光產業如旅行社、旅宿業、運通業、伴手禮業等受到今年本土疫情爆發的衝擊，營運幾近停滯，慘況較去年更為嚴重，今年不同於去年還有國旅支撐；但政府紓困4.0方案的補助比去年還差，面對疫情海嘯第一排的觀光業者怨聲載道；國民黨強調，若蔡政府持續無視業者的心聲，台灣觀光產業恐變成名符其實的「慘業」！
根據媒體最新報導，台灣觀光巴士公司決定縮減80%員工，僅剩下兩成維持最低營運量，成為這波疫情下開第一槍裁員的遊覽車業者，也凸顯出整體台灣觀光產業面對這波還看不到盡頭的疫情衝擊下，經營的困窘與背負的壓力。今天包括中華優質旅遊發展協會理事長李奇嶽、中華民國旅行商業同業公會召集人陳怡璇、全國旅館商業同業公會名譽理事長張榮南、中華文創觀光產業發展協會理事長孫國華等各層面的觀光業者代表出席記者會，向政府提出沈重的呼籲，盼政府的紓困力道應該加重、加快。
業者代表們指出，今年疫情較去年嚴重，去年還有國內旅遊，今年國旅團全歸零；且三級警戒一再延長，交通部觀光局同步要求旅行社業者「禁團令」也不斷延長，即便這次至7月中旬的警戒有解除的機會，但國人仍有疑慮，旅遊信心至少需要3個月後才能回溫，以往最熱絡的暑假旅遊市場降至冰點。各觀光產業的營運幾近停擺，但紓困4.0比去年紓困方案還差，去年尚有3個月30萬之企業營運補助，現今完全無補助；至於紓困4.0的員工薪資補貼，觀光業僅3個月一次性補貼4萬元、相關產業如伴手禮等僅補貼40%且上限2萬，根本是杯水車薪；有關營運損失補貼，目前政策一家旅行社補貼8團，一團不超過1萬元，也無法平衡支出成本。
對於觀光業者在這波疫情衝擊下的困境，國民黨提出七項呼籲：
1. 政府落實紓困「從優、從寬、從速」原則，協助業者渡難關。
2. 提高員工薪資補貼，以紓解裁員壓力。
3. 放寬限制、全面提供營運補助(如租金、水電費、勞健保、稅捐等)。
4. 政府指定二至三家專責官股銀行，承辦營運週轉金的信用貸款。
5. 去年紓困貸款期限延長一年、本金暫緩清償一年、利息補貼再執行一年。
6. 政府盡速採購疫苗，並規劃「疫苗護照」的開放邊境時程。
7. 觀光第一線人員列入優先疫苗接種，以因應解封後的報復性旅遊。
國民黨強調，觀光是火車頭產業，連帶影響台灣各層面的服務性產業發展以及基層商家、小吃、攤商等生計的維繫，政府絕對不能輕忽今年本土疫情對觀光產業的重創，絕對比去年衝擊的程度更深、更廣。國民黨表示，充足、有效的國際認證疫苗是抗疫的根本解方，也是讓國內觀光產業恢復生機的解決之道；政府應該盡快採購並進口足夠疫苗，讓台灣施打覆蓋率達到安全標準，恢復國人旅遊信心之外，對於各觀光產業的紓困作為應該排除障礙、精準符合業者需求，不要只是坐在辦公室裡閉門造車，多傾聽業者心聲，真正協助台灣觀光產業渡過疫情難關！
Inadequate Government Financial Relief
Tourism, Travel, Hospitality Becoming “Miserable Industries!”
The Kuomintang (KMT) held a press conference today (July 5th) entitled “Inadequate Government Financial Relief: Tourism, Travel, Hospitality are becoming Miserable Industries” in order to address the beating that the domestic tourism industry, including travel agencies, hospitality, transportation, souvenir shops, and others, are all receding due to the outbreak of COVID-19. These industries are on the brink of collapse, with the situation even graver than that of last year. The KMT emphasized that, if the Tsai Ing-wen administration continues to ignore the dreadful situations of those working in these industries, then Taiwan’s tourism industry may become a “miserable industry” in both name and in fact.
According to the latest news reports, Taiwan Tour Bus Limited Company has decided to reduce its number of personnel by 80%; barely 20% remain to maintain the bare minimum level of operations. Taiwan Tour Bus has become the first tour bus company to cut stuff because of the latest wave of pandemic outbreaks. The tourism industry representatives attending today’s press conference raised a grave appeal to the government, hoping that the government will provide more financial relief more quickly.
The tourism industry representatives pointed out that the pandemic is more serious than it was last year; last year, there was still domestic tourism, whereas this year there is basically none. Furthermore, the nationwide level 3 pandemic alert has been prolonged repeatedly, and as a result, the Ministry of Transportation Tourism Bureau has also repeatedly requested that travel agencies are “prohibited from leading tour groups.” Although the alert may be lifted in the middle of this month, the people are still hesitant. Confidence in the safety of tourism will require at least three months before it recovers; tourism’s typically busy summer market has declined to a standstill. Every tourism company’s operations are on the verge of standstill, yet COVID-19 Relief Package 4.0 falls short of last year’s COVID-19 Relief Packages. Last year, there were still three months of NT$ 300,000 of operations subsidies per company, with absolutely no subsidies at the moment. As for the employee salary subsidy of COVID-19 Relief Package 4.0, tourism companies can only be subsidized once for NT$ 40,000 over three months per employee. Worse, the souvenir industry is eligible for up to NT$ 20,000. These amounts are mere drops in the ocean. As for operations losses subsidies, current policy subsidizes eight tour groups for one travel agency. However, a cost for one tour group is less than NT$ 10,000, so this amount also fails to cover basic expenditures.
Regarding the tourism industry’s current plight of suffering from severe financial impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the KMT proposes seven appeals for the government:
Implement COVID-19 relief in a “preferential, lenient, and swift” manner so as to assist the tourism industry in overcoming this period of difficulty.
Increase personnel salary subsidies in order to alleviate the pressure to cut stuff.
Ease restrictions on, and comprehensively provide, operations subsidies (for example, subsidies on rent, water and electricity fees, Labor/Health Insurance payments, and various taxes).
Appoint two to three state-owned banks to take charge of credit and loan circulation.
Extend the deadlines of last year’s COVID-19 relief loans, postpone loan principal repayments, and implement loan interest subsidies, all for one year.
Procure vaccines as quickly as possible. Furthermore, plan a timetable for opening the border to “vaccination passport” holders.
Include frontline workers in the tourism industry on the priority list for vaccination in response to the increase demands in tourism after lockdown is lifted.
The KMT emphasizes that tourism is an industry that drives Taiwan’s economy. Tourism is connected to and influences the development of every single one of Taiwan’s service-related industries. Tourism is also connected to and influences the livelihood of grassroots merchants, snack and refreshment sellers, street venders, and other basic level businesses. The government must not recklessly overlook the heavy losses that this year’s domestic pandemic situation has had on the tourism industry. The impacts of the pandemic are unequivocally deeper and wider this year than they were last year. The KMT states that sufficient, effective, and internationally verified vaccines are the fundamental resolution to the COVID-19 pandemic; vaccines will also allow the domestic tourism industry to regain its vitality.
(This is an abridged version of an official KMT Chinese language press release）
