OpinionCountry parks well worth a booking fee

There is something about the rule of first come, first served that resonates with the initiative and self-dependence associated with camping in our country parks – or even the more luxurious alternative of glamping. But amid high-rise living in the hi-tech era, proposals that campers book campsites and pay fees reflect increasing demand. They may be a price worth paying for the peace of mind that people crave in getting away from it all.

Such ideas have already emerged during a three-month consultation just begun on enhancing the “recreation and education potential” of the parks. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department says it will consider charging fees for bookings – mainly to deter no-shows – but concedes it will have to step up management and monitoring of an informal leisure activity.

Zip lines and log cabins among proposals to improve country parks

Department assistant director Patrick Lai Chuen-chi says officials hope that with advance bookings people will not show up at their chosen site and be unable to find a spot. He compared the proposal with the booking system for sports facilities at government venues, which has been manipulated in the past through multiple early bookings by syndicates that later offer them for resale. The department still has to look at how a booking system for parks can be implemented practically. Fees are more likely to be introduced for glamping sites to recover higher costs. Lai says the department will listen to residents’ views on booking fees for normal campsites.

To boost choice and quality, officials will look at expanding popular campsites and setting up more family-friendly accommodation such as glamping zones and ecolodges. It is considering a number of ideas for adventure conservation, visitor information hubs at park entrances and development of historical sites into open-air museums. The Conservancy Association’s Roy Ng Hei-man rightly says private operators of glamping or ecolodge sites will need to be strictly vetted.

Country parks are among the city’s greatest natural assets, equally accessible to all. Any enhancement of their recreational and educational value can only encourage people to use them more and appreciate an important element in the city’s work-life balance.