Tourism on Taiwan's Penghu islands is having a weak year, which is bad for local operators but has turned the industry into the central fight in the county's election race.

• Visitor numbers from May to July fell about 15% from a year earlier as more Taiwanese travelled abroad instead.
• August has bounced back, with arrivals already past 120,000 and ahead of last year, helped by the islands' fireworks festival.
• Every candidate for county chief is running on a tourism plan — visa-free entry for all countries, a bigger international airport, new waterfront and temple-culture attractions, and year-round rather than summer-only visitors.
• Reopening direct links to nearby Chinese ports is the sharpest split: some candidates and local businesses want them back, while the DPP candidate opposes easing rules for Chinese visitors.
• The county government is pushing off-season deals — free flight giveaways, free buses and museums, and large subsidies to attract conferences and events.

Outlook: Penghu will lean on discounts and event subsidies to hold the autumn and winter season together, with the China-links question likely to decide the race.