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[ENVIRONMENT] Demand for qualified eco tour guides rises

The Young Reporter (2010, February), 42(05), pp. 5.
Author: Vivian Chui. Photographer: Connie Wan. Editor: Connie Wan.
Permanent URL - https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/bujspa/purl.php?&did=bujspa0007466

BY VIVIAN CHUI

The shortage of professional eco tour guides is worrying local travel agencies.

Eco tours are usually available at weekends and tour guides can only make several hundred dollars per tour. So many eco tour guides are working on part time basis, despite increasing demand.

“More and more Hong Kong people are interested in exploring the natural environment,” said Mr Chung Chak-wun, the founder of the Woodland Power Limited which organises eco tour.

“This [trend] is especially obvious after the SARS. People don’t want an ordinary trip. They want to know more about the natural environment instead. For example, they want to know the names of the rocks, birds, or the geological functions of the red forest,” said Mr Chung.

Eco tour guides are not the same as other travel tour guides. Knowledge of the environment is a must to ensure that participants can learn from them. For example, they need to talk about the features and functions of red forest when they visit one.

There is a shortage of professional eco tour guides in the face of increasing demand for eco tours, especially after the opening of the Hong Kong National Geopark.

“One of the reasons is that the general salary of eco tour guides is not satisfactory. Most of the eco tour guides are only freelancers,” Mr Chung said.

The Hong Kong Wetland Park Volunteer Scheme was launched in 2002 by Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. The volunteers can become eco tour guides in the park through different trainings.

Mr Li Yui-yuen is a nature lover and joined the voluntary service after he retired.

“You can apply for the eco tour guide scheme after completing the basic training course for volunteers. Further training will be provided for the guided interpretation service,” he said.

Volunteers who registered the eco tour guide scheme are required to attend practical sessions of at least 20 hours.

There will be an assessment to ensure that they deliver accurate information and correct ecotourism concepts.

According to Mr Chung, one cannot become an eco tour guide immediately after they finish a course in ecotourism.

“You need to work as a helper to gain relevant experience,” he said.

Besides, there are always some participants with high academic qualifications. They may be professionals or doctors. Guides may not have the knowledge to answer the questions they ask.

Mr Chung said it took a long process to be a professional and an all-rounded eco tour guide.

As an eco tour guide himself, Mr Chung added that there were some tour guides who failed to respect the natural environment.

“Sometimes they use loud speakers. This is just not acceptable,” he said.

Ms Lai Sau-ying is not only a volunteer tour guide in the Hong Kong Wetland park but also a part-time courier for local tours.

“In Hong Kong, eco tour guides don’t need any license or qualification.

“Sometimes I can see the ‘eco tour’ guides bringing a large group of tourist to the sites and present wrong information to them. It is irresponsible and the participants can hardly learn from the trip,” she said.

The government has organised free geo-tours with qualified tour guide to the Hong Kong National Geo-park from November 2009 to March 2010.

Five routes were planned, including High Island Reservoir, Sharp Island and Jin Island, Lai Chi Chong, Port Island and Wong Chuk Kok Tsui, Tung Ping Chau.

While the quota for these free geo-tours are already full, there will be a fixed point tour organised every Sunday and public holiday in High Island.

Mr Lam Yui-fong, senior country parks officer of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said the fixed point tour was an additional tour created due to the high demand from the public.

“The tour is not part of the plan initially. Many people have been asking for eco tour on High Island, we arranged this tour to satisfy the visitors’ demand,” said Mr Lam.

Mr Owen Richard Bernhart, professor of the department of geography at Hong Kong Baptist University said that it was important to protect the environment when developing ecotourism in Hong Kong.

“It is good that Hong Kong people see what Hong Kong people own, as the land belongs to Hong Kong people, they should have access to it.

“However, you still have to protect the land, so there is a balance which needs to be reached,” said the professor.

“Ecotourism is about tourists visiting places with minimal or preferably no impact on the environment,” he said.

EDITED BY CONNIE WAN

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