Where are the unique attractions in Kaohsiung? The Kaohsiung City Government Tourism Bureau spent money recruiting bloggers to serve as Kaohsiung travel experts and recommend the city’s tourism offerings. The bureau announced the four most popular attractions among bloggers as “Pier-2 Art Center,” “E-Da Theme Park,” “Cijin Island,” and “Meinong,” but local residents had differing opinions.
The Kaohsiung City Government Tourism Bureau held the “Go High Kaohsiung Players ‘Battle’ Competition” — an open recruitment campaign for Kaohsiung travel experts. Three groups were selected (Pro Showdown – Expert Group, Family Fun – Family Group, and Passionate Battle – Student Group), totaling 23 travel bloggers. Each was initially provided with NT$20,000 to embark on a five-day, four-night in-depth trip to Kaohsiung.
The Tourism Bureau estimated that the participating bloggers published around 350 online articles about traveling in Kaohsiung. Through the web traffic of the shortlisted blogs, it is expected to spark online discussions about the topic “Visiting Kaohsiung in Winter.”
After the judging process, eight award-winning bloggers with distinct characteristics were selected. The winners of each group received a prize of NT$60,000, while the runners-up received NT$30,000. The winners are: Lin Pei-yao from the Pro Showdown Group, Chen Jun-nan from the Family Fun Group, and Hsu Hong-hui from the Passionate Battle Group.
Over the course of nearly a month, the participating bloggers discovered many fresh spots in Kaohsiung. The Kaohsiung City Government Tourism Bureau compiled the “Four Most Popular Attractions Among Travel Bloggers” and announced the results as “Pier-2 Art Center,” “E-Da Theme Park,” “Meinong Town,” and “Cijin Island.” However, the tourism industry had different views. Industry insider Ko Chih-fu stated that this result surprised many locals in Kaohsiung.