Greenpeace warns of growing overtourism after recording thousands of National Day visitors at Hong Kong eco-sites

Hong Kong's Greenpeace office has expressed concern over the increasing issue of overtourism, particularly after recording thousands of visitors and instances of environmental damage at local ecotourism hotspots during China's National Day weeklong holiday. The environmental NGO urged the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) and the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) to develop a comprehensive ecotourism policy with visitor caps for countryside hotspots like Half Moon Bay.

On October 4, Greenpeace noted 3,010 visitors at Half Moon Bay and over 100 instances of capturing marine life. Meanwhile, Long Ke Wan Beach saw approximately 1,516 visitors on October 1, with 89 instances of environmental damage. Ha Shun-kuen, a temporary "painkiller" campaigner, stated that the government's allocation of extra personnel was insufficient, as the damage persisted despite enforcement actions.

The NGO also highlighted overcrowding at Po Pin Chau's viewing platform, where 64 people gathered, exceeding the lookout's capacity. Greenpeace previously called for reduced visitor quotas for hiking trails and emphasized that a comprehensive ecotourism policy, including measures such as seasonal trail closures for restoration work, is necessary to protect country parks.

The organization advocated for carrying capacity assessments and maximum visitor caps for each site.