Golden Week crush shows Hong Kong needs top-down ecotourism policy, experts say
Hong Kong should adopt a comprehensive, top-down ecotourism policy led by a single designated authority to safeguard environmentally sensitive spots overwhelmed during the Labour Day “golden week”, experts have urged.
The call on Monday follows a viral video showing a Mandarin-speaking tourist smoking at Ham Tin Wan Beach in Sai Kung. In the clip, the man claimed he had “confirmed” with authorities that smoking was allowed, responding defiantly to a fine imposed on a mainland Chinese visitor for littering at the same site.
When asked about visitors’ responsibility to take away their trash, the tourist said on Sunday: “I find it laughable. I will just pay the fine, won’t I? Does he have the right not to take the trash away [after he was fined]?”
The video clip sparked outrage on social media in Hong Kong, with many saying the large influx of mainland visitors to the city’s natural landmarks was putting the sites at risk.
Lam Chiu-ying, former chairman of the Hong Kong Countryside Foundation, said ecotourism was “fundamentally incompatible” with mass tourism. He asserted that protecting biodiversity must remain the absolute priority.
