Lantau campsite to take bookings over holidays
Locals can now reserve a spot to pitch their tent at popular Pui O during long mainland breaks
Hongkongers planning to stay at a popular Pui O campsite during the upcoming long mainland public holidays will be able to book in advance, to avoid getting squeezed out by visitors from across the border.
The new arrangement is a reaction to overcrowding during the "golden week" holiday last October at the campsite on southern Lantau Island.
Mainlanders were blamed for some Hongkongers being unable to get camping spots.
Advance bookings will only be taken for the Pui O campsite managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
The service will not be availale for the department's other campsite at Butterfly Beach Park in Tuen Mun, or to 40 other designated campsites in the city's country parks, managed by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
"During the Mid-Autumn Festival last year, which was coincidentally also a "golden week" holiday on the mainland, a large number of visitors arrived to use the campsite facilities, causing serious overcrowding problems," a spokeswoman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said.