Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Taiwanese tourists were cut off from international travel for most of 2020. As a result, local tourism saw a major boost, especially in offshore destinations like Penghu, Green Island, and Orchid Island. With no overseas options available, Taiwan’s offshore islands were some of the hottest destinations for people itching for a vacation.
Taiwan’s success in controlling the spread of the virus was good for local tourism. That’s because there was no need to prohibit travel around Taiwan during the summer. However, while that was good news for travelers and the local economy, there was also some bad news. For the first time in many years, some of Taiwan’s offshore islands experienced what is known as overtourism. That means there were far more guests than local towns and businesses were prepared for.
In some places, that meant crowded beaches and buses, lots of extra garbage8, and a shortage of products on many store shelves. Some local residents complained that their daily life was being disturbed and that the environment was being hurt because there were so many tourists in the area. Even though travelers and local businesses were happy with the situation, a summer of overtourism reminded many people that sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.
