Hong Kong's Camping Chaos: Unlicensed Tours and Overwhelmed Sites

Hong Kong's Ham Tin Wan campsite was packed during a mainland Chinese Labour Day holiday, with unlicensed tour groups contributing to the overcrowding. The public bathroom sink was clogged with food scraps. A reporter estimated around 500 tents at the site. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) categorizes the site as large, but doesn't specify an upper limit for capacity. Large groups of hikers arrived, including those on unlicensed tours, with guides preparing meals using ingredients brought from Shenzhen. Some tourists said their guides provided sausages, raw meat, vegetables, and even watermelon. The public toilet was again blocked due to waste disposal from hotpot meals. AFCD officers issued warnings about approaching brown cows. While some tourists planned their own treks, others joined tours advertised on social media. In Hong Kong, tour guides require licenses from the Travel Industry Authority. Visitors found working or operating businesses without a license face fines and potential jail time. Some tourists were unaware their guides were potentially breaking the law. A 14-year-old tourist was surprised to learn his guide lacked a license. The site included groups of identical tents, and the guide declined to comment. One tourist paid for a tour promising camping gear and meals, with transport across the border. An organizer claimed the tour would be led by a licensed professional. Another guide admitted to leading tours multiple times a week, entering