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Editorial | Hong Kong wants ecotourism, not overtourism
After incidents of overcrowding at beach campsites during recent holidays, it is encouraging that the authorities are considering a booking system and fees
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Excitement about an influx of tourists during the recent Chinese New Year “golden week” was tarnished by the sight of some rural Hong Kong beaches being turned into congested tent cities. It is good that the authorities are considering fees and other solutions to counter holiday rushes. The problem was obvious on beaches in Sai Kung, where more than 900 tents were pitched along Ham Tin Wan. At nearby Sai Wan, nearly half of the campers had illegally pitched shelters outside designated areas.
Conservation officials insist that numbers were under control, but the South China Morning Post found trash left behind and food in sinks and on the floors of a nearby public toilet.
Government responses so far have been mere “painkiller” measures, according to green groups. Admittedly, sending in cleaners after the fact does nothing to prevent damage like that seen last October in the Unesco Global Geopark where people illegally cooked over open fires, trampled on corals and gathered marine life at a protected site.
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Such behaviour has prompted calls for stronger public education, enforcement and limits on visitor numbers at popular sites around the city. So it is good that the Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has promised to review its management protocol and consider a booking system and fees.
Any booking system must be carefully managed. Hong Kong has struggled in the past with touts abusing public sports facility bookings. Assets such as the city’s treasured hiking trails should also be considered amid similar overtourism pressure.
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Bookings and fees are not uncommon around the world where overtourism has been a problem. Limiting numbers can help preserve sites and enhance the experience for those who secure slots. Fees can raise cash for maintenance and management.
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