Po Pin Chau booking system successfully cut crowds

Following the implementation of the reservation system at the East Dam of High Island Reservoir in Sai Kung, Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan stated an average of 950 people have booked to visit Po Pin Chau daily, describing the measure as effective in dispersing crowds.

This site in Sai Kung has been popular among tourists, but it previously faced overcrowding.

In response, the government launched a trial reservation system in September, operating across four faily time slots with a total quota of 2,000 places during weekends, the Mid-Authumn Festival and the National Day Golden Week.

Answering lawmakers' questions at a Legislative Council meeting, Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse said after the reservation system was introduced, an average of 2,000 people entered the East Dam daily.

During the National Day Golden Week, peak visitor numbers at the viewing platform dropped by 30% compared to before the system was implemented.

The authorities stated they will review the trial results of the reservation system, summarise areas for optimisation and the feasibility of charging fees and announce the results in due course.