Taiwan's Penghu islands are losing tourists fast, and a county election fight has broken out over whether opening the door to Chinese travelers is the fix.

• Visitor numbers to Penghu keep falling, blamed on the county government treating the wrong problems.
• Taiwan Solidarity Union chair Chou Ni-an, running for Penghu county chief, calls the KMT plan to bring in Chinese tourists a poison cure.
• The bigger question is why Taiwanese people now fly abroad instead of visiting their own islands.
• China's economy is weakening and its local governments mix tourism with politics, which raises worries about influence over Penghu's market.
• Weak transport, labor, and culture policy is also hurting: airlines keep failing on domestic routes, and cheap foreign labor rules are squeezing local fishing villages.

Outlook: Penghu's tourism debate will stay tied to cross-strait politics through the election, with rival plans split between courting Chinese visitors and rebuilding off-season attractions like coral reefs, temples, forts, and winter food festivals.