Trial booking system for Sai Kung geopark trail launches in bid to curb overtourism

Hong Kong authorities have launched a new booking system for visitors to a popular Sai Kung coastal trail, in a bid to better manage crowds and protect the natural environment. Po Pin Chau in Sai Kung’s High Island Geo Trail. Photo: GovHK. Registration began on Monday for sightseers looking to visit the Po Pin Chau section of the High Island Geo Trail next weekend, with a quota of 500 people set for each two-hour time slot. The trail is located in the south-eastern section of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark, near the High Island Reservoir East Dam. The booking-only area, however, does not cover the East Dam and Biu Tsim Kok sections. Bookings for Po Pin Chau will be required for all weekends beginning next month and ending October 7 – the final day of mainland China’s National Day Golden Week holiday, a peak travel season for visitors from across the border. This period also covers the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday next month. Registration is not required for bookings outside of those dates, or for visits before 9am and after 5pm. A map showing which areas will require advance reservation around Po Pin Chau. Photo: The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. The booking system is run by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), which looks after the territory’s country parks. Visitors must register using local online travel booking platform Klook with their real names, a requirement that authorities have said is intended to prevent scalping and no-shows. Registrants will receive an e-voucher with a QR code, which they must present to AFCD officers at the entrance of the Po Pin Chau section. Overcrowding Hong Kong’s popular nature spots have been grappling with overtourism, especially during peak travel seasons for mainland Chinese visitors. Ham Tin Beach in Sai Kung on May 2, 2026, the second day of the Labour Day Golden Week holiday in mainland China. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. In particular, some trails and beaches in Sai Kung – known for its scenic coastal views and natural landscapes – have seen major bottlenecks, as public transport has struggled to keep up with the surge in demand. Environmental groups have also warned of damage to ecological systems caused by overcrowding. Authorities first said in June that they were exploring the introduction of a real-name reservation system to improve visitor flow management at Po Pin Chau. Dianne Wong, under secretary for environment and ecology, said AFCD officers had been conducting crowd control by stopping people from entering when the number of visitors reached capacity, but this approach was not ideal for promoting eco-tourism in the city. Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps Make a one-off donation. Hillary Leung is a journalist at Hong Kong Free Press, where she reports on local politics and social issues, and assists with editing. Since joining in late 2021, she has covered the Covid-19 pandemic, political court cases including the 47 democrats national security trial, and challenges faced by minority communities. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hillary completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and sociology at the University of Hong Kong. She worked at TIME Magazine in 2019, where she wrote about Asia and overnight US news before turning her focus to the protests that began that summer. At Coconuts Hong Kong, she covered general news and wrote features, including about a Black Lives Matter march that drew controversy amid the local pro-democracy movement and two sisters who were born to a domestic worker and lived undocumented for 30 years in Hong Kong. More by Hillary Leung