The Next Ecotourism Hotspots at Risk
Originally published in Chinese on 7 February 2026.
Whenever holiday is near, and news of visitors damaging the countryside is likely to follow. What is hard to predict is which new place will be hit. If we saw it coming, the departments concerned and the public could at least be prepared.
How can we sharpen our foresight? A hidden countryside spot becomes an “ecotourism hotspot” for two main reasons:
(1) the government promotes it, and
(2) it gets attention on social media.
When both conditions are met, crowds can surge in. Po Pin Chau, Tai Tung Shan and Sharp Island are examples: all were promoted by the government as ecotourism sites, then “went viral” on social media. The Sharp Island incident, where tourists trampled coral, also revealed that the waters off the island lie outside any protected area, so offenders face no criminal liability.
Last week Greenpeace published a report identifying 22 places across Hong Kong, like the waters off Sharp Island, that the government favors as ecotourism sites but that have little legal protection. These places have special ecological or geological value and are inherently fragile. With the government promoting them, all that is missing is a social media algorithm to “kill them with praise”. If they become famous, the government has no law to enforce, and they will become another Sharp Island.
These high-risk places already appear in popular social media posts, including on Xiaohongshu: Ha Pak Nai and Nam Sang Wai in Yuen Long; Tap Mun, Tung Lung Chau and Po Toi islands among the outlying islands; and Yim Tin Tsai and Sham Chung in Sai Kung [Note 1]. The latest news is that a developer has opened a ferry route linking Sham Chung, known for its grassland, to Sai Sha Go Park, and that someone plans to turn the grassland into a paid luxury campsite, which may draw more people to take photos there. The government’s plan to rebuild piers in Sham Chung and nearby ecologically sensitive areas such as Lai Chi Chong effectively paves the way for such plans, and the environmental pressure may grow [Note 2].
Damage does not require crowds. To generate social media traffic, a few content creators seek out remote spots even without government promotion. Such places lack infrastructure and staff, and visitors without conservation awareness can easily damage the ecology. At Tung Sam Kei in Sai Kung, dozens of snorkelers wearing fins were seen trampling coral [Note 3]. Besides the 22 places named by Greenpeace, our researcher found several remote ecological sites outside protected areas, either because past development pressure was low or because they are in the sea (natural reserves mostly cover land, so marine protection is weak), yet they are shared in news or social media “adventure guides”. The following are examples of second-tier high-risk places:
➤ Fo Shek Chau, Sai Kung: “seafood buffet” [Note 4]
➤ Wong Mau Chau, Sai Kung: “Bali-like glass-clear sea” [Note 5]
➤ Pak Lap Tsai, Sai Kung: “Hong Kong’s Maldives” [Note 6]
➤ Bluff Island, Sai Kung: “Hong Kong’s psychedelic beach” [Note 7]
The 22 high-risk places and 13 second-tier places found by Greenpeace and us all lie outside protected area management. Our researcher compiled them into the Potential Ecotourism Black Hole Map 2026 for reference (link in the comments).
To stop more scenic spots from turning into “theme parks”, the departments concerned must review how they promote ecotourism, watch social media trends, and prepare ahead for places that may “blow up”. Greenpeace’s report looks at the system level: setting up an ecotourism policy framework to replace the current mass tourism model, expanding protected areas, and other long-term measures for sustainable development, so that future generations of Hong Kong people can still enjoy green spaces.
[Note 1] Liber Research Community. 23 October 2025. [Wild and Viral] Five ways Xiaohongshu users imagine the Hong Kong countryside
[Note 2] Liber Research Community. “Mission accomplished: why rebuild 23 remote piers out of the blue?”
[Note 3] HK01. 5 October 2025. Dozens of snorkelers in fins trample coral in Sai Kung; clownfish “homes” may be destroyed
[Note 4] Sing Tao Headline. 29 July 2025. Mainland woman in Hong Kong makes a “seafood buffet” at Fo Shek Chau in Sai Kung: free sea urchin, abalone, scallops and crab soup, then asks “can this be eaten?” after catching an unexpected creature
[Note 5] Hong Kong People Travel Hong Kong. 19 May 2022. Sai Kung attractions: [Hidden snorkeling spot Wong Mau Chau! Bali-like glass-clear sea! Sea urchins and fish within reach!]
[Note 6] Hong Kong Zai. 7 May 2025. Comparable to Hong Kong’s Maldives: Pak Lap Tsai
[Note 7] Yahoo Travel. 20 August 2021. Sai Kung attractions | Yung Kong Wan, Sha Tong Hau and Shan Yat day trip: Hong Kong’s psychedelic beach / world-class holiday resort / colorful coral reef
