Ecotourism in Hong Kong may not be as popular as its nightlife and other urban appeals – as is evident from its exclusion from HK Tourism Board’s top 10 attractions – but it’s high time for us to build awareness around its potential.
Think of Hong Kong and the first thing that leaps to mind is its famous skyscraper-dotted cityscape. But alongside the glitz and glamour of the city lies its great outdoors, which, strangely enough, is neglected as a top tourist attraction.
As Josiah Chan, lecturer at The City University of Hong Kong, points out, “Despite possessing the favourable conditions needed for ecotourism, such as an abundance of natural beauty and biodiversity, Hong Kong has achieved only limited success in ecotourism development in terms of business potential and increasing tourist arrivals.”
Yet, these natural beauties are world-class by their own rights. For instance, the Yuen Tsuen Ancient Trail was included by National Geographic in its list of top 10 ancient highways. Dragon’s Back Trail was voted as one of the best urban hikes by Time magazine.
The government is doing its bit though. The Ramsar site, for instance, is closely monitored by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and the HK Bird Watching Society. According to their records, till March 2016, the peak count of waterbirds at the site in mid-winter was 57,778, comprising 17,701 ducks and grebes, 21,482 shorebirds, 6,609 gulls and terns, 8,247 cormorants, 3,556 egrets and herons, and 183 rails and coots. It’s safe to say that Ramsar is a bird-watcher’s paradise.
The government has also built the Hong Kong Wetland Park, a conservation, education and tourism facility at Tin Shui Wai in Yuen Long. With themed exhibition halls, a theatre, ‘swamp adventure’ play area, and the Wetland Interactive World, it’s just the kind of place to gain knowledge about conservation while having a lot of fun!
But travelling to nature parks does not directly translate to ecotourism. International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines “ecotourism” as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment.” The keyword here is ‘responsible’. While local travel agencies conduct guided tours, there is little or no awareness about ecologically responsible travel.
Cheng Lok Yi, a local resident, narrates, “The [tour] guide did not encourage us to build environmental awareness and respect. He picked up starfish, crabs and sea cucumbers from the water and showed us how cute the animals were…I even witnessed people throwing starfish as Frisbees and the guide did nothing to stop them.”
This alarming account leads to a vital question: in the guise of ecotourism, are we instigating eco-terrorism?
Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay