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A spokesman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (March 26) that the advance booking arrangement for local residents to reserve camp bays at Pui O Campsite on Lantau during the three Mainland festive long holidays will continue in 2014 and the coming Chinese New Year. Local residents who wish to use the camp bays during the upcoming Labour Day holiday (the six days from May 1 to 6) can submit applications from tomorrow (March 27).
To enhance the management of Pui O Campsite, the LCSD launched, with the support of the Islands District Council, a trial arrangement in the past year whereby Hong Kong identity card holders could make advance bookings for camp bays during the holidays of the 2013 Labour Day and National Day, as well as the 2014 Chinese New Year.
"The department reviewed the arrangement upon completion of the one-year trial period. It was noted that the advance booking arrangement not only enabled local residents to better plan their camping schedules, but also enhanced the order and service quality of the campsite during these peak periods. The LCSD will therefore continue to implement the arrangement during the three festive holidays in the coming year," the spokesman said.
"According to the data collected by the LCSD during the trial periods, the average booking rate for the 52 camp bays at Pui O Campsite was about 50 per cent, indicating that the arrangement was generally well received by local residents who wished to use the campsite during the periods in question.
"Moreover, to improve the management of the campsite and foster a sense of care for its facilities, the LCSD has deployed campsite ambassadors on-site during the three festive periods to promote keep-clean messages, to provide assistance to campers on registration and to answer enquiries."
Local residents who wish to make reservations for the use of Pui O Campsite during the three festival periods can submit their applications about one month in advance. If there are unfilled camp bays, visitors are free to register on the same day on a first-come, first-served basis.
The advance booking arrangement will be implemented for the three designated Mainland festive holidays only. Outside these periods, the current on-site registration arrangement will continue to apply whereby both local residents and visitors can use the camp bays on a first-come, first-served basis without the need to make bookings.
Local residents who wish to use the campsite during the upcoming Labour Day holiday can submit their applications from tomorrow (March 27). Application details can be found on the LCSD's webpage at www.lcsd.gov.hk/camp/en/p_ng_po.php.
"For the coming National Day and Chinese New Year holidays, local residents are advised to check the LCSD's webpage nearer the time for further information," the spokesman added.
For enquiries about the booking arrangements of Pui O Campsite, please call the LCSD's Islands District Leisure Services Office at 2852 3220.
Ends/Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Issued at HKT 16:00
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