To support the Ministry of Transportation and Communications Tourism Administration’s themed campaign “Taiwan’s Top 100 Tourist Highlights,” and in conjunction with the peak season for Matsu’s famous Blue Tears in April 2025, the spotlight this month is on Lienchiang County. The Matsu National Scenic Area Administration (hereafter referred to as the Administration) has been actively assisting the local tourism industry by training local guides, promoting geotourism, and enhancing the service capacity of the “Matsu Geopark,” which is one of the Top 100 Highlights of Taiwan tourism.
On April 12–13, 2025, the Administration collaborated with the Matsu Geopark Association of Lienchiang County and invited expert faculty including Professor Sung Sheng-Rong from the Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Professor Su Shu-Chuan from the Department of Geography, National Taiwan Normal University, and Distinguished Professor Chiang Po-Wei from the Department of East Asian Studies. These experts conducted on-site teaching at various geological landscape sites in Juguang Township to help local tourism professionals deepen their geotourism knowledge and improve their guiding skills.
Director Hong Chih-Guang of the Administration stated that this training program strengthens the connection between industry and tourism development in outlying islands, boosting the competitiveness and sustainability of the Matsu tourism zone. The course content focused on the unique geological features of Matsu and integrated geological landscapes with tourism experiences to encourage deeper visitor engagement. Additionally, the training included hands-on experiences such as “Viewing Juguang from the Sea” to promote interactive and immersive geotourism activities. Local tourism operators were encouraged to integrate these emerging recreational experiences to offer tourists a fresh and unique travel experience.
It is hoped that these newly trained guides will be able to use their professional knowledge to help visitors better understand the unique geological and ecological value of Matsu, while also promoting the “Five Goods of Tourism” spirit and contributing to sustainable green tourism. Looking ahead, there are plans to further integrate Juguang with Nangan and Beigan through joint marketing efforts to enhance the overall effectiveness of the regional tourism network and build a more competitive geotourism-based island vacation destination.
The Matsu Geopark is Taiwan’s first local-level geopark. As it moves towards becoming a national geopark, the Administration and Lienchiang County Government continue to support local organizations in achieving the four major goals of geoparks. By mobilizing community-based participation, the Administration is gradually localizing geotourism service manpower. This recent training session drew over 40 participants. In the future, we will continue our effort to cultivate professional guides with multilingual skills. Domestic and international geotourism enthusiasts are warmly invited to explore Matsu and experience its magnificent geological landscapes through the guidance of professional tour interpreters.
