Abstract
The Penghu Islands, as the Taiwan's largest offshore islands, are a popular 3S (sun, sea, sand) destination. The development of tourism in Penghu over the past 40 years has focused primarily on "conventional mass tourism." However, in recent years, controversy has broken out over the proposed development of casino gambling in Penghu. A 2009 referendum rejected casino development, leaving many people concerned about whether tourism in Penghu may suffer, and finding an alternative program for sustainable tourism development has become a priority. In view of Penghu's current vulnerability and the current global trend towards sustainable development, this paper argues that Penghu's tourism development should not maintain its current focus on mass tourism, but should actively seek out alternatives. This study focuses on the ecological and cultural resources of Wangan Island. Through literature review, field reaserch and in-depth interviews, we examine current conditions in tourism development on the island from a "tourism system" perspective, and present relevant discussions based on "alternative tourism." This paper also provides a basic conceptual framework for the planning and implementation of alternative tourism development on Wangan Island and proposes specific recommendations.