Tourism Administration, Republic of China (Taiwan)-Taiwan Tourism Administration's Taiwan Tourism Information Website

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) 2023 Gold Awards were announced on August 24, 2023. The North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Management Office of the Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications won the Gold Award for the "Alabao Bay Secret Land Reappearance Plan.” Alabao Bay is in the Heping Island Geopark. The award category was "Tourism Destination Resilience (Asia Pacific)." This award recognizes and encourages the development of sustainable tourism.

The secret land of Alabao Bay on Heping Island is known as having "the most beautiful sunrise in the world." The park is rich in natural resources, unique topography, culture, history, and biological diversity. The North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Management Office worked with local teams to operate and manage the bay area under the concept of sustainable tourism. The bay is only open to tourists from May to September. Itineraries emphasize education and understanding through seminars and the training of knowledgeable residents who serve as tour guides. This allows tourists to experience the beauty of Alabao Bay and the community to share in the benefits of tourism at this site. Together, they can continue building Heping Island into an "International Sustainable Tourism Island.

The Tourism Bureau is committed to optimizing the tourism environment, including ensuring a healthy balance between tourism and the local ecology. Environmental education is prioritized in order to provide local and overseas tourists with a better understanding of our land and its history. By cooperating with local enterprises, the bureau works to improve the quality of tourism. The bureau also participates in an array of international organizations to build communication bridges. One part of this is to support efforts that shine an international spotlight on Taiwan’s achievements and efforts in tourism development.

The 2023 PATA Gold Awards consist of two main categories: “Marketing” and "Sustainability and Social Responsibility." Each category contains “themes” for which awards are also granted. The Marketing category has 14 themes and the “Sustainability and Social Responsibility” has 11 themes (including initiatives in the area of climate change). A “Grand Title Winner” is awarded for each of the two main categories, and 25 individual awards are granted for the specific themes.

2023 PATA Gold Awards Press Release