On Sunday, 11 February, nearly 300 Taiwanese tourists faced one of the worst travel nightmares, finding themselves stranded on Vietnam's Phú Quốc Island due to payment disputes between the Taipei-based travel agency "We Love Tour" and the local tour company WinnER.
Upon arrival, the tourists discovered no bookings under their names, prompting WinnER to demand an additional US$720 from each individual, alleging that We Love Tour had not paid the full tour fee. Some tourists refused to pay and opted to return to Taiwan.
The conflict escalated as WinnER accused We Love Tour of breaching their contract by failing to pay travel expenses on time. We Love Tour's general manager, David Lin, cited a misunderstanding and claimed an agreement had been reached for a later payment date. Despite disputes, WinnER decided to take a humanitarian approach, arranging accommodations and meals for the stranded tourists.
Negotiations are underway to facilitate the return of affected tourists. Over 100 have paid the additional fees demanded by WinnER, while investigations by Taiwan's Tourism Administration aim to determine if We Love Tour violated regulations governing travel agencies.
We Love Tour, refuting claims, emphasises efforts to resolve the issue and cover customer losses, urging tourists not to be financially held hostage by WinnER.