Hong Kong to test new campsite booking system amid overcrowding, litter concerns
Authorities also reveal 32 people had been prosecuted for offences in Sai Kung’s country parks over Chinese New Year holiday
Hong Kong may introduce pilot schemes for booking campsites before the National Day holiday in October, as authorities revealed that 32 people were prosecuted for offences in Sai Kung’s country parks over the Chinese New Year holiday.
Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan told the Legislative Council on Wednesday that most of those prosecuted were non-locals charged with littering.
Authorities had earlier said they were considering implementing a booking system and charging fees for camping hotspots to address public concerns about overcrowded beaches and litter during the festive period.
Greenpeace had called for long-term measures to tackle overtourism in Sai Kung after the number of tents at a campsite reached more than nine times its capacity on the second day of Chinese New Year, with its members observing various “damaging deeds”.
Tse said authorities wanted to test various management methods on a pilot basis because the new charging or reservation system would be vastly different from the measures applied to most country park sites run by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD).
“This aims to gain experience and evaluate the pros and cons of different approaches and help formulate a long-term implementation plan,” he said.