Miaoli Delegation Visits Nantou to Exchange Camping Site Management Strategies, Aiming to Enhance Cross-County Collaboration on Legalization and Regulation

On the morning of the 22nd, Nantou County Magistrate Hsu Shu-hua attended the '2026 Cross-County Camping Site Legalization Guidance Exchange Event' held at the 7th-floor International Conference Hall of the county government. Magistrate Hsu welcomed Deputy Speaker Chang Shu-fen of the Miaoli County Council and her administrative and legislative delegation, expressing hopes that through experience-sharing, both counties can jointly advocate for relaxed central policies and support, further refining camping site legalization guidance efforts to create safe, compliant camping environments and position the camping industry as a new business opportunity for domestic tourism.

Magistrate Hsu noted that in recent years, camping has grown increasingly popular, driving rising demand for camping sites and establishing itself as a burgeoning tourism sector in Taiwan. Young people are exploring the country through low-cost, flexible consumption models, injecting fresh vitality into the domestic tourism industry and creating new business opportunities in Nantou County distinct from traditional tourism.

Nationally, there are approximately 1,700 camping sites, with Miaoli and Nantou counties hosting the highest numbers—accounting for about 40% of the total—highlighting the suitability of both regions for developing the camping industry. However, despite multiple legislative amendments, existing regulations—particularly restrictions from the Council of Agriculture—remain significant barriers. Currently, the approval rate for camping site applications across counties is suboptimal, primarily because central regulations allow insufficient land-use ratios for existing sites to qualify for legalization. While the Tourism Administration is supportive in principle, progress is stalled by the Council of Agriculture’s restrictive land-use allowances. Local governments must continue advocating at the central level to secure regulatory relaxation for the sustainable development of the camping industry.

Magistrate Hsu stated that Nantou County currently manages 573 registered camping sites, with 370 in operation. To strengthen guidance and management, the county established a Joint Camping Site Management and Guidance Team in 2023, led by Deputy Secretary-General Chien Yu-min as convener and Tourism Department Director Lin Hsiu-mei as deputy convener, coordinating eight departments to implement guidance initiatives. Since 2023, the team has completed on-site inspections and legalization analyses for 508 sites across the county, conducted 19 guidance seminars for operators, 17 mobile consultation sessions in rural areas, assisted 46 operators in preparing applications, and hosted a local government camping site guidance and management exchange in 2025.

Thanks to the county’s proactive support, 196 first-stage land-use permit applications have been submitted within its jurisdiction—about half from existing camping sites—with 80 already approved.

On the regulatory front, Nantou has revised building regulations to exempt camping facilities from road adjacency and designated building line requirements. Structures under 45 square meters are now exempt from building permit applications—a pioneering move nationwide that lowers the barrier for camping site legalization. To accelerate the application process, the county annually reviews and updates the 'Camping Site Application Template' based on feedback from departments and applicants, addressing common corrections and practical needs. The template is available for download on the 'Nantou County Government e-Counter' platform, touted as the most comprehensive and user-friendly in Taiwan, significantly reducing the need for application revisions.

Deputy Speaker Chang Shu-fen of the Miaoli County Council stated that the exchange aimed to learn from Nantou’s experience in supporting the camping industry and to promote healthy development of this emerging sector in both counties. For this new industry, she expressed hope that the government would provide greater assistance and guidance, relax policy restrictions, and enable the industry to grow in a safe and sustainable direction—ultimately allowing more citizens to enjoy secure and well-equipped camping recreation environments.