'Cooler weather expected to boost Po Pin Chau visits'

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has reported limited interest in the reservation trial for the Po Pin Chau trail in Sai Kung East Country Park. As of Monday evening, only about 200 of the 2,000 daily slots for September 5 and 6 had been booked, accounting for just 10 percent of the quota. Assistant Director Esther To cited the ongoing summer heat as the main reason for the low visitor numbers.

She expects visitor numbers to increase around the Mid-Autumn Festival or the October Golden Week. The pilot scheme, which requires visitors to register using their real names, aims to protect the trail's natural environment, enhance the visitor experience, and determine the site's carrying capacity. The 2,000-slot daily limit was determined based on past foot traffic during Golden Week holidays, the trail's length, and typical visitor behavior patterns.

To noted that the round-trip route at Po Pin Chau is about two kilometres and usually takes two hours to complete. She also mentioned that crowd control measures were already in place during the Labour Day Golden Week in May. The department is currently taking a gradual approach, without penalties for no-shows or a fee structure, and will monitor no-show rates before deciding on penalties or fees.