Tourism boards spend thousands of dollars in search of that one great idea that will draw tourists to their destination, but one tiny island off the coast of Taiwan shows that sometimes great tourism ideas come from where you least expect it.
Hujing is a tiny island of 200 people, most of whom are part of an aging community, however, it is their youngest residents that are pushing forth a truly novel tourist idea.
Hujing Elementary School has six remaining students, and it is those students who came up with the idea of using the island's stray cats to attract tourists. The students were inspired by other cat towns and islands in the regions like Houtong, a famous cat village on Taiwan's north coast.
"On some small islands in Japan - due to the abundance of felines - foreigners have been lured in and the cats have become famous tourist attractions leading to young people also returning and helping the community," Hujing Elementary School principal Lin Yan-ling told ABC.
With other cat towns in existence to draw upon for inspiration, the students got to work on making their own island a cat island. They began by taking photographs of local cats to print onto bags and cards made out of recycled clothes.
Other projects have including turning items into cat sculptures like the school's mailbox.
"The students hoped to create a series of cat island projects based on caring about the cats on the island as well as helping local tourism development," said principal Lin.
"They also turn photos of the cats of Hujing into postcard sales, and then use the proceeds of the charity as a fund for cat food and veterinarian fees."
While the students are working hard to turn their island into a cat-lover destination, they do have some competition and obstacles to tackle. For instance, it takes an hour-long flight followed by a boat trip to reach Hujing, versus the famous cat village Houtong which is just a short train ride from Taipei.
Still, the students are hopeful and Principal Lin thinks there are enough cat tourism dollars to go around, and at the very least, the cats will be fed and the children will learn something new.
"Let the school not only be a paradise for children, but also a paradise for cats," Lin said.
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