Tran Thanh Hai from the Kien Giang Provincial Tourism Department confirmed with Dantri/Dtinews that the Taiwanese tourists left Phu Quoc on February 14.
"They were divided into three groups and boarded three Bamboo Airways flights at Phu Quoc Airport at 10 am, 12 pm, and 2 pm," Hai said, adding that they would hold a meeting with concerned agencies and tourism companies on the issue later on Wednesday afternoon.
"We'll issue strict fines to the Vietnamese travel companies if they are found with violations in this case," the official stressed.
According to initial investigations from the department, the Taiwanese visitors had booked a tour of Phu Quoc through We Love Tour, a travel company in Taipei. The Taiwanese firm received money and conducted procedures to bring them to Vietnam.
The visitors arrived in Vietnam on February 10 and were scheduled to fly back to Taiwan on February 14.
Two Vietnamese travel companies, Winner Vietnam and Hoang Tra, received and took the guests to Phu Quoc. However, they have yet to receive any payment from the Taiwanese partner.
Speaking about the case, director of the Winner Vietnam Travel Company, Ha Tuan Minh, said that they had a contract with the We Love Tour Company in Taiwan to take three groups of Taiwanese tourists to Phu Quoc but then they cancelled the contract on January 31 as the Tainwanese firm failed to send payment as agreed.
"We had to spend over VND3 billion to arrange accommodation, meals and interpretation fees for the tourists," Minh said.
Head of the Hoang Tra Travel office in Phu Quoc, Dam Dieu Quan, said that they would go to Taiwan to work with the Taiwanese side after the Tet Lunar New Year holiday.
"For the time being, we will assist the visitors to return home on schedule,” Quan said.
