【News Buddy】優化「打卡點」 議員倡三「主動」

【原文】摘錄自4月7日香港《文匯報》：打卡拍照上傳社交平台、CityWalk漫遊街頭巷尾，是時下的旅遊風尚，香港正積極打造「無處不旅遊」的旅遊友善環境，吸引各地長短途旅客。

記者日前在香港多個網紅打卡點和熱門遊玩地現場直擊，發現部分打卡位存在較為嚴重的交通隱患。運輸署指，有關地區的步行環境優化措施，將於本年中至第三季內完成，部分工程將於暑期旅客高峰期進行。

有區議員認為，須就有關情況提前告知旅客，並給出其他打卡點建議，一方面可利用機會主動推介，另一方面亦可避免讓旅客失望而歸。亦有立法會議員建議特區政府和旅遊業可進一步調整思維，主動發現、主動管理、主動規劃熱門打卡區域，主動引導打造香港旅遊新亮點。

清明節當日（4日）下午1時左右，記者在堅尼地城石牆樹現場所見，雖然警方已放置錐形路標在行人路上，並用橙色警示帶以劃分行人路與車道，但大部分遊客還是集中在車道打卡。現場記錄車輛車速較快，準備在路口轉彎的車輛則會適當減速，但遇上有人在路上打卡，有司機會按喇叭作提示。

值得注意的是，該打卡處附近停放的小巴有機會造成行駛車輛司機視線盲區，有車輛幾乎擦身駛過拍照的遊客。行人過馬路處站了很多遊客，故過馬路的市民亦會打斜過，或找其他位置過。

最高峰現場同時聚集約70位遊客停留打卡。來自深圳的肖小姐比較謹慎，她在石牆樹一側車道拍了幾張照片，但擔心身側來車，不時用餘光或轉頭向旁邊留意小巴後面的車況。「感覺還是有點危險，不會超出小巴停放的區域。」若未來能把行人路加寬，她認為會便利大家打卡。

科士街是不少居民的必經之路，香港市民蘇同學表示，不介意遊客打卡，認為是宣傳當區特色的好事，但走出馬路就不太理想，若政府擴闊行人路都是合適的安排。香港市民黎先生表示，歡迎遊客來玩，建議政府可以安排人員在此處溫馨提示遊客如何安全打卡。

中西區區議員表示，區內重視遊客打卡體驗，並建議警方等部門需要有系統化、常態化的跨部門聯合行動，增加宣傳和溫馨提示遊客安全隱患，特別是在內地假期前作預案、提前部署。

對於工程期間的遊客體驗，她認為必須就此做好前期宣傳、現場告示等配套措施，而修路期間可透過提示宣傳當區其他特色，讓旅客不會失望而回。

隨着旅客消費和休閒模式的轉變，特區政府要盡快適應轉變，相關部門要對熱門打卡區域做到主動發現、主動管理、主動規劃，平衡好旅客體驗、市民生活和自然生態。

譬如，區議員可以發現最新的熱點打卡位，當區民政處就可以聯絡有關的部門一齊作短中長期的規劃。如果遊客喜歡到各個民生區、自然區打卡，有關部門可以率先在旅客多的時候，派人手到現場做秩序管理和安全提示，再進一步在民生區做些改善小工程，自然區可以實行每日預約，主動控制人數，達至雙贏局面。

為改善科士街的步行環境，運輸署已安排相關部門擴闊科士街石牆樹下的部分行人路，預計工程可於本年第三季內完成。因應水務署正在科士街進行的水管工程，及減低對附近校巴服務的影響，行人路擴闊工作將安排於暑假期間進行。

Enhancing Hotspots to Boost Tourism

【譯文】Snap photos uploaded to social media platforms, CityWalk roaming the streets and alleys is the current travel trend; Hong Kong is actively creating a "tourism-everywhere" travel-friendly environment to attract long and short-haul travellers worldwide.

Recently, journalists have conducted on-site visits to several popular tourist spots and tourist attractions in Hong Kong and found that some places have more serious traffic hazards. The Transport Department (TD) has pointed out that the measures to enhance the pedestrian environment in the districts concerned will be completed in the middle or third quarter of this year, and some of the work will be carried out during the peak period of tourists in the summer.

Some DC members consider it necessary to inform travellers in advance of the situation and give suggestions on alternative pick-up points so that they can use the opportunity to make proactive recommendations on the one hand and avoid disappointing travellers on the other. Some LegCo Members also suggested that the SAR Government and the tourism industry could adjust their mindset by proactively identifying, managing and planning for popular tourist spots and proactively guiding the development of new tourist attractions in Hong Kong.

At around 1 pm on the day of the Ching Ming Festival (4th), reporters at the Kennedy Town Stonewall Tree site saw that although the police had placed cones on the footpaths and used orange warning strips to demarcate the pedestrian paths from the traffic lanes, most tourists were still concentrating on the traffic lanes to beat the traffic. Vehicles recorded at the scene were travelling at a relatively high speed, and cars preparing to turn at the intersection would slow down appropriately. Still, drivers would honk their horns as a reminder when there are photo-takers on the road.

Notably, minibuses parked near hotspots may cause blind spots for drivers of vehicles travelling on the road. Some of the cars almost brushed past the tourists taking photographs. Many tourists were standing at the pedestrian crossing point, so people crossing the road would also cross at an angle or find another place to cross.

At the peak hours, about 70 tourists stopped at the scene to take photos simultaneously. Ms. Xiao from Shenzhen was more cautious. She took a few pictures in the lane on the side of the stone wall tree but was worried about the cars coming from her side, and from time to time, she kept her eyes or turned her head to the side to pay attention to the vehicles behind the minibus. "I felt that it was still a bit dangerous and would not go beyond the area where the minibus was parked." If the footpath can be widened, she thinks it will be more convenient for people to clock in.

Forbes Street is a necessary route for many residents; Hong Kong citizen Mr. So said, do not mind tourists; that is a good thing to publicize the characteristics of the district, but walking out of the road is not ideal, if the Government to widen the pavement are appropriate arrangements. Mr. Lai, a member of the Hong Kong public, said that tourists are welcome to come and play and suggested that the Government should arrange for staff to give tourists warm tips on how to take photo safely at this place.

Members of the Central and Western District Council said that the district attaches importance to the experience of tourists clocking in and suggested that the police and other departments need to have systematic and regular inter-departmental joint actions to increase publicity and warm reminders to tourists about potential safety hazards, especially in advance of the Mainland holidays to make preparations and advance deployment.

Regarding visitors' experience during the construction period, she considers that supporting measures such as advance publicity and on-site notices must be appropriately carried out in this regard, and other features of the district can be publicized through reminders during the road construction period so that visitors will not be disappointed and return home.

With the changes in tourists' consumption and leisure patterns, the SAR Government should adapt to the changes as soon as possible. The relevant departments should proactively identify, manage, and plan for popular tourist spots to balance the experience of tourists, the life of the public, and the natural ecology.

For example, if District Council members can identify the latest hot spots, the local District Office can contact the relevant departments for short, medium, and long-term planning. Suppose tourists like to visit various livelihood and natural areas. In that case, the relevant departments can take the lead in deploying manpower to do order management and safety reminders on the spot when there are a lot of tourists and then further carry out minor improvement works in the livelihood areas. At the same time, the natural areas can implement daily booking to actively control the number of people and achieve a win-win situation.

To improve the walking environment at Forbes Street, the Transport Department has arranged for the relevant departments to widen part of the footpath under the stone wall trees. The works are expected to be completed within the third quarter of this year. Given the water mains work being carried out by the Water Supplies Department (WSD) at Forbes Street and to minimize the impact on the school bus services in the vicinity, the footpath widening works will be arranged during the summer holidays. ●琬琰