France-based the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club has approved membership for Taiwan’s Penghu Bay, according to the Penghu County Government.
“This certainly is great news to us as it will help boost Penghu’s international visibility,” Chen Mei-ling, director of the county’s Tourism Bureau, said Nov. 14.
“The Penghu Islands, with no industrial parks, are very natural,” Chen said. “There are many intertidal zones allowing a diverse marine ecology, with coral reefs, gastropods and different kinds of fish.”
Penghu Bay, partially encircled by the main islands of Huxi, Baisha and Xiyu, represented the entire archipelago in the bid to join the international group.
The islands boast many other cultural and natural attractions including Twin Heart Stone Weir in Qimei Township, Jibei Sand Spit in Baisha Township and the basalt columns of Tongpan Island, Chen noted.
About 850,000 tourists visit the county every year, with foreigners accounting for 20,000, she said. “Around 3,300 rooms, housing up to 7,000 visitors, are available for accommodation. In response to the increasing number of travelers coming in, especially during the peak period from April to October, we are planning to build more hotels and enhance the overall service quality of the tourism sector.”
Founded in 1997, the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club is committed to “saving the natural heritage of the bay, preserving its identity, respecting the way of life and the traditions of those that inhabit the area whilst ensuring economic development compatible with these commitments,” according to the group’s website.
Members of the organization include 37 bays from 28 countries and areas such as France’s Mont St-Michel Bay, South Korea’s Yeosu Bay, San Francisco Bay in the U.S. and Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, the club said.
