Hong Kong urged to overhaul ecotourism planning and expand bookings for hotspots
Hong Kong should overhaul its ecotourism planning and allow visitors to book ahead at more of its popular countryside attractions, a lawmaker has said, after a survey found most residents believed the city had strong potential for nature-focused experiences but lacked enough quality options. A poll of 651 residents commissioned by lawmaker Perry Yiu Pak-leung’s office and think tank New Youth…
Hong Kong's lawmaker Perry Yiu is calling for a major overhaul of the city's ecotourism planning and the expansion of online bookings for popular countryside attractions. According to a recent survey, 71.8% of Hong Kong residents believe the city has strong potential for nature-focused experiences, but only 62.1% feel there are enough high-quality ecotourism products available.
Yiu argues that the government should adopt a strategic approach to managing popular attractions, rather than the current "passive, piecemeal and firefighting" method. He suggests creating a cross-departmental task force to oversee ecotourism development and implementing booking systems at popular sites, similar to the successful trial at High Island East Dam and Po Pin Chau.
Industry experts, including the Travel Industry Council chairman Tommy Tam, emphasize the need for accredited travel agencies and professionally trained guides to provide richer experiences at ecologically sensitive and heavily visited sites. Travel Industry Authority is urged to strengthen online monitoring of social media platforms to combat unlicensed cross-border tour operations.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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