Executives from travel agencies across the Taiwan Straits gathered in Pingtan county, Fujian province, on Dec 2 to discuss how to promote winter tourism in Pingtan.

Boasting a long shoreline, Pingtan is most known for being a summer resort in eastern Fujian. But the fierce winds in winter have remained an unpleasant experience that dampens tourists’ expectations.

Pingtan and Taiwan’s Penghu Islands have a lot of similarities, as they both rely much on sea landscapes, said Ye Renyao from the Xiamen branch of the Lion International Travel Agency.

He suggested that Pingtan can learn from Penghu to promote parlor games and 'agritainment' in its characteristic stone folk dwellings during the winter.

Yang Guiru from the Jiuzhou Travel Agency agreed with Ye, saying that after some decoration, the stone house tour would become a new growth spot in Pingtan tourism.

The duty-free Taiwan Commodity Market can also be a highlight after authorities make more efforts in shielding off the winds, other experts say.