Greenpeace warns of growing overtourism after recording thousands of National Day visitors at Hong Kong eco-sites
Hong Kong’s Greenpeace office has warned of growing overtourism after it recorded thousands of visitors and dozens of instances of environmental damage at local ecotourism hotspots in a single day during mainland China’s weeklong National Day break. The environmental NGO on Tuesday urged the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) and the Environment and Ecology […]
Hong Kong's Greenpeace office has expressed concern over burgeoning overtourism, noting thousands of visitors and numerous instances of environmental damage at local ecotourism hotspots during China's National Day break. The environmental NGO urged local authorities to implement comprehensive ecotourism policies, including visitor caps, for countryside attractions like Half Moon Bay.
On October 4, Greenpeace recorded 3,010 visitors at Half Moon Bay, and more than 100 instances of capturing marine life. At Long Ke Wan Beach in Sai Kung, around 1,516 visitors were logged on October 1, with 89 instances of environmental damage. Ha Shun-kuen, a Greenpeace campaigner, criticized the government's temporary measures as insufficient, stating they only provide a "temporary 'painkiller' that fails to address the root cause of the growing overtourism issue."
The NGO also reported overcrowding at Po Pin Chau viewing platform, with 64 people present on October 1, surpassing the lookout's official capacity. Greenpeace previously called for reduced visitor quotas for the hiking trail and emphasized the need for comprehensive ecotourism policies, such as seasonal trail closures for restoration works, to protect country parks.
They urged the government to conduct carrying capacity assessments for all countryside hotspots and set maximum visitor caps for each site.
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