A vast majority of tourists who have visited Lanyu (桮蜉) support the idea of imposing a quota system to control the number of visitors to the small island, a tourism organization said on Tuesday.
The Taitung Sustainable Development Association made the statement based on the results of a public opinion survey that it conducted for the Taitung County Government.
Citing the poll results, association officials reported that about 63 percent of respondents favored the idea of a quota to limit the number of tourists, while 59 percent supported setting up a “conservation area” on the island to help preserve its natural resources.
These are strong indications that visitors are increasingly aware of the importance of environmental protection on the island, the association said.
The results of the survey indicated that most tourists to Lanyu are young men and women with at least some college education.
For this type of tourist, Lanyu’s “landscape” and “diversified ecological system” are the prime attractions, the survey found.
About 92 percent said they would like to visit the island again with family or friends.
But about 90 percent of the respondents said they were concerned that the many motorcycles on the island would destroy its tranquil environment.
Many respondents said they were dissatisfied with ※unclear§ road signs and inadequate tourist information at tourist spots.
The 45km² island is located 80km southeast of Taitung County. It is home to some 5,000 Tao Aborigines. Most of the residents are farmers and fishermen.
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