The Lienchiang County Government on Thursday protested the alleged use of Mastu’s blue tides to advertise tours in Thailand, demanding that the agency responsible apologize.
Blue tides — also known as “Blue Tears” — are a naturally occurring bioluminescence in the sea around Matsu, a seasonal phenomenon that the county government has been promoting to attract tourism to the islands.
Fun Mini Tours Co (林軒旅行社), a tour agency specializing in Thailand-bound travel, had placed advertisements in Taipei’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) railway system last year featuring what it claimed to be the blue tides near the beaches of Koh Lipe Island in Thailand.
Photo provided by Matsu News Web site webmaster Liu Chia-kuo
The advertisement was shared on Facebook in connection to discussions about the county’s tourism policies, but several Matsu residents said the photograph was of Matsu’s Dongju Island (東莒島).
The county government issued a statement saying the island in the photograph was Dongju, and the original photograph had taken by professional photographer Chiang Meng-ting (江孟霆).
Although the posters were removed from the Taipei MRT system late last year, the county government said Fun Mini Tours still owes the public an explanation.
County officials would lodge a complaint with the Tourism Bureau if they do not hear from the agency, they said.
Chiang confirmed he took the photograph in May or June last year, adding that the public should condemn the unauthorized use of images as a form of theft.
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