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A Cross-sector Perspective on the Opportunities and Challenges for Ecotourism in Hong Kong
- GREEN Hospitality
- 1 day ago
- 11 min read
On 1-5 June 2026, more than 400 individuals from Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and the Asia-Pacific region gathered at the 2026 Hong Kong International Nature-based Solutions (Nbs) Action Week. Jointly organised by The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Civic Exchange, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the conference offered a platform for participants to explore and exchange knowledge on NbS for climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development.
The final day of the conference culminated in a specialised thematic workshop titled ‘Designing Community-Centric Revenue Strategies for EcoTourism Products’.
With GREEN Hospitality being one of the content partners, the workshop brought together a diverse cohort of cross-sector experts, including academics, government and public sector representatives, as well as hospitality and tourism practitioners to critically evaluate the challenges, opportunities, and current trajectory of ecotourism in Hong Kong, and to advocate sustainable, community-centric revenue models for two local projects that are in the stages of development: the Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park and the proposed Coastal Protection Park at Tsim Bei Tsui, Lau Fau Shan and Pak Nai.
The workshop commenced with five targeted presentations, bridging global hospitality innovations, carrying-capacity research, smart technologies, and upcoming government conservation blueprints. Using case studies from Singapore and Thailand, GREEN Hospitality’s presentation highlighted how the hospitality sector can effectively contribute to conservation by incorporating it into every aspect of operation – "GREEN Hospitality: Sustainable Hospitality Strategies in Singapore and Thailand".
Singapore Case Study: PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering
Background
PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering is an eco-luxury hotel managed by the Pan Pacific Hotels Group. Designed by the world-renowned architecture firm WOHA, the hotel is situated in a high-density urban centre at the gateway to Singapore’s Central Business District, directly adjacent to Chinatown, minutes from Raffles Place and the Marina Bay waterfront. The hotel holds the ISO14001 certification for environmental management systems, and serves as a premier example of how commercial real estate can move beyond minimising environmental damage to actively restoring biodiversity within a metropolitan core.
Sustainability Design
The hotel's design achieves a Green Plot Ratio of 240%, meaning that the total biological leaf area of all plants on the site is exactly 2.4 times the total land surface area of that site. The hotel does this by integrating over 15,000 square meters of vertical greenery, effectively creating more nature on the site than would exist before the establishment of the hotel.
Sustainability is deeply embedded in the building's design through a selection of more than 50 plant species. Different species of plants are strategically mapped across the specific microclimate of each floor of the building, including consideration of localised wind resistance and sunlight penetration. Furthermore, the landscape is entirely pesticide-free by design, through the use of a self-sustaining tropical plant palette that naturally eliminates pests. These designs are the key fundamentals of the hotel’s NbSs to sustainable development.
Key Achievements
PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering delivers measurable ecological and financial returns across four primary areas:
Urban Biodiversity: On top of the 50+ plant species that immediately increase vegetation diversity in Singapore’s urban centre through establishing a diverse botanical ecosystem, the building functions as an urban ecological stepping stone: It provides a vital migratory corridor and stopover habitat for native birds, butterflies, and bees, significantly boosting city-centre vegetation coverage.
Urban Cooling: The massive green canopy acts as a physical thermal shield, reducing external wall temperatures by 10–15°C compared to conventional concrete-and-glass structures. Through evaporative transpiration, the plants absorb solar heat and release moisture, directly cooling the microclimate of the surrounding streets, mitigating the urban heat island effect.
Energy Efficiency: The combination of natural plant cooling and open-sided, naturally ventilated corridors allows the hotel to cut air conditioning energy consumption by 20%. This performance earned it Singapore’s highest BCA Green Mark Platinum rating, the benchmark framework for sustainable building construction and operations.
Sustainable use of water resources: The landscape operates with minimal reliance on external utilities. A rooftop solar PV array fully powers the automatic irrigation pumps, water-treatment systems, and landscape lighting, ensuring zero fossil-fuel energy is used for plant upkeep. Additionally, the building's podium and sky terraces act as structural catchment zones, capturing enough rainwater to meet 65% of all landscape irrigation needs from natural precipitation.
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Thailand Case Study: Khao Lak Merlin Eco Resort
Background
Khao Lak Merlin Eco Resort is a beachfront natural resort, located between the local tropical rainforest and the Andaman Sea. Built with the core philosophy of preserving the region's original coastal rainforest landscape, the resort prioritises the coexistence of humans and nature. The resort has earned the Responsible Thailand Award in Responsible Conservation (2024) and the HICAP 2025 Sustainable Hotel Award for Biodiversity Action and Education. It serves as an excellent operational model for integrating the natural ecosystem into a hospitality framework.
Sustainability Design
The resort's design limits its physical footprint by developing only 60% of the total land area, dedicating the remaining 40% to an extensive tropical garden consisting of native ancient trees. The resort integrates wildlife directly into its commercial operations through bookable, revenue-generating guest experiences, including Wildlife Night Walk Tours and Bird Watching Tours. To maintain ecological integrity, the resort employs permanent, resident biologists to guide environmental best practices, lead guest activities, and conduct research cataloguing native species.
Sustainability is reinforced through community-centric operations, including the establishment of employment targets for the adjacent Thai Mueang district and local supply procurement. The resort collaborates with several conservation foundations, including a research partnership with Love Wildlife, which monitors local slow loris behaviour using camera traps, and Big Tree Projects, which monitors the native forest surrounding the resort.
Key Achievements
Khao Lak Merlin Eco Resort demonstrates how targeted biodiversity management can drive environmental preservation and unique commercial value:
Local Biodiversity Conservation: By preserving the native landscape, the resort provides a safe habitat for over 200 wildlife species, including colugos, owls, hanging parrots, and flying lizards. It also protects nearly 300 ancient native trees across 40 distinct species, some over a century old, forming a continuous, protected canopy extension from the neighbouring Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park.
Carbon Footprint Reduction: The resort's preserved forest canopy and ancient trees actively offset more than 76 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. This ecological baseline is audited and maintained through ongoing environmental research collaborations with the Big Trees Project.
The ‘Science Funded by Stays’ Financial Model: The resort has successfully operationalised a self-sustaining economic loop. A portion of the revenue generated from standard guest stays and specialised eco-tours is funnelled directly into local scientific research, including the Slow Loris Monitoring programme, the Annual Biodiversity Survey, and the Hermit Crab Project. This funding loop creates a virtuous cycle where robust scientific research enhances the guest experiences during the exploration of nature, and the fees from the guest experiences fund the scientific research.
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Through the presentation, we hoped to hammer home the key philosophy: The flourishing of the hospitality industry depends on the ecosystem services provided by nature, such as scenic aesthetics, therapeutic spaces, clean air and water, and valuable food resources. True sustainability requires a regenerative model, in which businesses must put back more than they take to guarantee long-term commercial survival, generating diversified revenue streams through a hospitality approach achievable by incorporating science-based conservation methods and building a symbiotic relationship with nature.
Civic Exchange: Ecotourism & Overtourism Research Insights
Following GREEN Hospitality’s presentation, Civic Exchange laid out the vision: Hong Kong will be a global leader in regenerative ecotourism, offering unique, educational, and transformative experiences that set a new world standard.
Anticipating the public policy think tank’s official comprehensive report release in September 2026, the presentation introduced a rigorous framework for preventing overtourism by establishing an ‘Ecological Bottom Line’. Central to this framework are the Four Operational Carrying Capacities:
Capacity Type | Focus Area |
Ecological | Preserving the foundational environmental health and baseline biodiversity. |
Physical | Restricting absolute spatial thresholds and infrastructure limits. |
Social | Mitigating disruptions to local communities and maintaining resident well-being. |
Managerial | Ensuring administrative systems and personnel can effectively regulate visitor flow. |
To operationalise these capacities, Civic Exchange advocated for managed access frameworks, including mandatory carrying-capacity assessments, pre-booking reservation systems, and strictly guided visits.
HKU District Development Unit: Solution Ideas for San Tin
On the topic of ecotourism, The University of Hong Kong’s District Development Unit introduced a technological reimagining of traditional aquaculture in the San Tin region.
Recognising that traditional fish farming is highly labour-intensive with thin profit margins, the unit proposed installing intelligent aquaculture facilities and Smart Gei Wais (traditional tidal shrimp ponds).
To weave these working landscapes into the visitor experience, they suggested constructing dedicated bike tracks, deploying specialised eco-bikes, and curating immersive tourism experiences where visitors can operate smart farming equipment and participate in eco-photography tours.
Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD): Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park
Extending on the vein of ecotourism, the CEDD introduced the statutory framework for the Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park (SPS WCP). Spanning 338 hectares, this government-backed initiative is designed to directly mitigate the ecological and fisheries impacts of the adjacent San Tin Technopole development. Operating under a strict ‘no-net-loss in ecological function and capacity’ mandate, the land is allocated as follows:
253 hectares: Ecologically enhanced fishponds
35 hectares: Enhanced freshwater wetlands
40 hectares: Fisheries enhancement zones
10 hectares: Dedicated supporting infrastructure
Scheduled for a two-phase rollout in 2031 and 2039, the park will leverage NbS through smart water gates and automated channels to optimise wetland functionality for critical species, notably migratory birds, the Chinese Bullfrog, and the Eurasian otter. From an ecotourism perspective, the infrastructure will cater primarily to educational groups and students, featuring pavilions, viewing platforms, bird hides, outdoor classrooms, boardwalk trails, and a signature Eco-lodge for overnight stays.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC): Coastal Protection Park
Ecotourism is impossible without stewardship of the environment and the life forms that call it home. Here, TNC outlined the vision for a massive 2,370-hectare Coastal Protection Park (CPP) situated within Deep Bay.
The presentation highlighted TNC’s ongoing native oyster reef restoration projects, identifying Pak Nai and Tsim Bei Tsui as prime ecotourism zones for the proposed CPP, and for obvious reasons, too – the park's primary ecological draws include native oyster reefs, Chinese horseshoe crabs, and rich avifauna populations.
To safely monetise these assets, TNC proposed a ‘Reef-to-Riff’ field trip model, offering contiguous, guided educational tours spanning from the intertidal mudflat coasts up to the terrestrial hillsides. The initiative aligns with Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the government’s Pak Nai and Deep Bay Habitat Management Projects.
Cross-sector Discussion on Opportunities, Challenges, and Revenue Strategies for NbS
Following the presentations, participants split into two concurrent expert panels for a two-hour discussion session on ecotourism opportunities and challenges for the Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park and Coastal Protection Park.
Both groups were guided by a common framework to structure their discussion on designing a revenue strategy, including:
Study the Site and Stakeholders
Identify Non-Negotiables
Define the Selling Point and Core Value
Develop an Income Model
Design Revenue Strategies
Outline Operations
Assess Impact and Manage Risk
The summary of their discussions is as follows:
1. Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park Group
Core Natural and Cultural Assets: Traditional and smart aquaculture systems; iconic wetland wildlife (Egrets, Eurasian Otters); night-adapted ecosystems (mangrove and weed beds).
Target Audience: Dedicated bird watchers, educational school tours, eco-conscious travellers, corporate CSR retreats, local seafood enthusiasts, and paying student research interns/volunteers who fund their own room and board.
Core Visitor Experiences: A fully integrated approach that merges aquaculture, conservation, and leisure. Specific offerings include day-and-night wildlife safaris, hands-on smart aquaculture demonstrations, and academic research tourism.
Income and Revenue Strategies: A zoned, tiered pricing structure featuring partially restricted premium paid areas, mandatory paid guided tours, and on-site retail of high-value local fishery products alongside eco-dining partnerships.
Systemic Challenges: The fundamental mission of the park is to serve as ecological compensation for the San Tin Technopole project. Consequently, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) measures success against wildlife conservation Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), offering zero KPIs or institutional incentives for financial self-sufficiency or aquacultural revenue generation (‘feeding the birds before feeding the people’). Furthermore, the government prefers free public entry with minimal management effort, which contradicts the resource-intensive reality of active ecotourism management. As a result, immediate revenue models remain restricted to local fish-farmer leases and the eco-lodge, which will not debut until 2039.
2. Coastal Protection Park Group
Core Natural and Cultural Assets: Commercial oyster farming landscapes; intertidal mudflats and Gei Wai shrimp habitats; rare species (horseshoe crabs, fireflies, seagrass beds); indigenous village culture, history, and sunset vistas.
Target Audience: Local neighbourhood residents, the broader Hong Kong public, mainland Chinese tourists, and international eco-travellers.
Core Visitor Experiences: Immersive ‘farm-to-table’ oyster cultivation tours, culinary classes, dried seafood market excursions, and night tours (nocturnal wildlife and local village ghost-storytelling). High-engagement infrastructure includes mud scooters, interactive sticker-counting feedback boards at the visitor centre for counting of sighted species, and specialised park mascots to drive personalisation of ecosystems and species.
Income and Revenue Strategies: A mixed-income matrix utilising a tiered subscription/entry fee framework (distinguishing between immediate village locals, Hong Kong residents, and tourists). Local resident engagement will be maintained via low-cost or free access distributed through a lucky draw system. Long-term operations will rely on combined government grants, localised biodiversity-linked green taxes, and corporate sponsorships where major enterprises subsidise local village small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).
Systemic Challenges: The main challenges of CPP include a lack of infrastructure and an exhaustive ecological inventory to clearly separate high-sensitivity preservation zones from high-traffic visitor zones. The park faces notable overtourism risks from mainland Chinese visitors and challenges in shifting land rights, as private and village plots face reclamation pressure. This leaves local communities with diminished bargaining and discourse power regarding development trajectories. Additionally, the final round of public consultation is still ongoing, leaving the exact scope of government financial investment undefined.
Opportunities and Challenges for Hong Kong’s Ecotourism
A comparative synthesis of both breakout sessions reveals deep structural parallels across Hong Kong's emerging ecotourism sector:
Shared opportunities and strategies
Asset Profiles: Both sites value natural assets, such as coastal wetland ecosystems, wildlife, and biodiversity (e.g., birds, horseshoe crabs). Cultural values are also valuable assets, such as the traditional low-impact aquaculture (fishponds and Gei Wais), and the educational potential of these landscapes.
Experiential Paradigms: Both groups highlighted immersive experiences such as guided tours on nature education, experiencing aquacultural practices with the local fish farmers, and localised seafood-related activities (e.g., fishing, cooking, and tasting).
Target Demographics: Both models rely heavily on eco-conscious consumers and students (educational purposes), while identifying mainland Chinese tourists as a high-volume audience that requires careful management to avoid community friction and ecosystem degradation.
Shared challenges
Conservative Bureaucratic Frameworks: Both projects face constraints from the AFCD's traditional, low-intervention management philosophy. This mindset favours zero-cost, unmanaged public access over the sophisticated, actively managed, and revenue-generating frameworks required to sustain premium ecotourism operations.
The Infrastructure and Baseline Data Deficit: A critical prerequisite for both parks is the execution of comprehensive carrying-capacity evaluations and precise ecological mapping to zone visitor activity safely away from fragile habitats.
The Public-Commercial Paradox: Both projects face the operational challenge of balancing between free public access for local residents (encourage community engagement and public education) and innovative, high-yield paid programmes necessary to fund long-term conservation assets.
Cognitive Shift Necessary for Sustainable Ecotourism Development
While brainstorming positive impacts and potential of a project is intuitive (especially for the environmental assets and potential), building sustainable, self-reinforcing revenue strategies remains difficult.
Since ecotourism projects like Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park and Coastal Protection Park often offer an initiative of conservation or act as an attempt to fulfil the ‘no net loss’ principle of other development projects, revenue generation is often treated as an afterthought or positive by-product. This traditional approach leads to under-managed, under-funded public spaces and the lack of innovative income strategies that are essential for sustainable ecotourism development.
To unlock the full potential of both the Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park and the Coastal Protection Park, a cognitive shift from traditional conservation KPIs to ‘regenerating nature for sustainable community economic growth’ will be needed, alongside improvements in infrastructure, revenue streams, capacity research and tourism management.
