A trial real-name registration scheme designed to protect the fragile geology of Sai Kung’s Po Pin Chau proved inadequate on 26 September as more than 1,000 hikers—many from mainland China—queued in sweltering heat hoping for last-minute slots. Visitors complained that the online quota portal lacked live availability updates, forcing walk-ins to wait blindly for cancellations. The High Island Geo Trail segment has become Instagram-famous for its hexagonal volcanic columns, prompting the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department to cap daily entries at 1,650. Yet Saturday’s Mid-Autumn long-weekend test revealed operational gaps: taxis jammed the narrow access road, and park rangers scrambled to separate booked guests from hopeful walk-ins. Tour guides warn that the confusion could damage Hong Kong’s eco-tourism reputation just as the city seeks to diversify beyond shopping-centric tourism. They urge authorities to provide real-time quota dashboards—similar to those used for China’s Huangshan National Park—and to add shuttle buses from Sai Kung Pier to reduce roadside congestion. For corporate mobility programmes that include outdoor team-building, the lesson is clear: secure permits well in advance and monitor regulatory tweaks. Companies planning expatriate orientation trips should brief newcomers on the booking system and advise against unregistered visits that could result in denied entry. The AFCD says it will review the pilot after Golden Week, with options ranging from dynamic quotas that open up cancelled slots automatically, to mandatory green-transport shuttles that bundle time-slot tickets with bus seats.
Source: South China Morning Post
