A Brand New Tourist Attraction, Made of Trash

Collaborating with local tourism operators, B&Bs, and transport companies, we took Lanyu’s visitors on an unexpected journey. Using the only resource at hand – a local garbage dump – we created a completely new tourist attraction: Kasiboan (“Place to Pile Garbage” in the local indigenous language).

Starting with the local residents of Lanyu, we generated a common understanding on social media, and made tourists, the public, and even government agencies aware of Lanyu’s garbage crisis.

-Advance Communication: For half a year in 2015, we won support from Lanyu residents, before starting to build a tourist attraction.

-Execution: In June 2016, we transformed a garbage dump into a new, must-see tourist site. At the entrance, we created an art installation using local resources.

With minimal production expenses and zero media budget, we created an official website and won kudos from several bloggers. We distributed flyers on tourist transport, placed posters and road signs around the island, and directed local tours to the site. Our aim was to make tourists see the problem with their own eyes, encouraging everyone to “take your trash back with you.”

-Communication Documentary: Creating a video of the process, we distributed it on YouTube in July 2016.

-Social Exposure: A host of internet users, celebrities and media shared the video. It ultimately spurred the public and the government to propose concrete solutions.

-Tourists felt responsible and reflected. Within 3 months, over 3000 people checked in on social media and shared their experience.

-“Carry your own trash away” became a part of Lanyu’s travel culture.

-With zero media expenditure, the documentary film scored over 3 million views.

-Over 70 news outlets, content farms, and fan pages shared and reported the story on their own initiative.

-Support from numerous celebrities, including top rock group Mayday and Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-Wen.

-The government increased the budget and started concrete measures to solve Lanyu’s garbage problem.

-We raised the environmental consciousness of the local community. To date, local residents of Lanyu have organized a succession of environmental events.

-Within 5 months, Kasiboan officially disappeared.