More than half of registered visitors to Sai Kung trail fail to turn up on 1st weekend of booking system
More than half of the registered visitors to a hiking hotspot in Sai Kung failed to turn up on the first weekend of a trial booking system intended to curb overtourism and blunt ecological damage, authorities have said. Of the 3,230 people who make bookings under the real-name reservation system, only 1,560 registered and walk-in […]
On the first weekend of a new trial booking system aimed at reducing overcrowding and ecological damage at a Sai Kung hiking trail, a significant number of registered visitors failed to show up, authorities announced. Of the 3,230 people who made reservations using a real-name system, only 1,560 actually arrived at the Po Pin Chau section of the High Island Geo Trail.
Visitors had to present their booking records to AFCD staff before entering the trail. Despite the high no-show rate, the department reported that operations went smoothly, with visitors entering the trail after their QR codes were scanned and identities verified. The AFCD highlighted that foot traffic along the trail had decreased since the trial booking system's introduction.
The trial system, which requires pre-booking for weekends and public holidays starting September 2026, has capped daily visitor numbers at 2,000. The trail, a popular attraction among visitors from the Chinese mainland, gained notoriety after a fatal accident on New Year's Eve last year when a 21-year-old tourist from Guangzhou fell 70 meters to his death while photographing the volcanic rock formations.
The AFCD plans to collect on-site data and visitors' opinions and will review the trial system at a later date.
Written by urgent.news from Hong Kong Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
