The local government has indicated that tourists using camping facilities in Macau were well-behaved, according to a statement released by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM).
Last month, local media reported that there were complaints from some Macau residents regarding tourists occupying Macau’s camping spaces and leaving a mess behind.
The government statement explains that Ha Sac Beach Campsite provides space for a total of 108 tents divided into three zones (zones A, B, C). During the holidays, two additional temporary camping areas are set up, increasing the total number of spaces to over 200.
Zone C is exclusive to Macau residents. Local residents can make reservations for campsites, whereas non-local residents cannot, which means that non-local residents can only use the camp by visiting the site and choosing a space on the same day.
Responding to the accusations against tourists, the bureaus said that during Chinese National Day, no disturbance of other people, impact on the hygiene at the camp-site or camping outside of the camp area were found at the camp.
The Macau-resident exclusive Zone C was not full during the holiday. The temporary camping spaces were only used on October 1 and October 5, indicating that the camp was not as crowded as indicated by the complaints.
In addition, the two bureaus remarked that Macau does not currently have laws banning tourists from using camping sites, and that there is no law that currently regulates accommodation for package tours.
The local government plans to revamp the campsite and change the number of tent spaces, remove the temporary camping area to increase the space and greenery between camps, and increase the number of barbecue spaces at the venue.
Moreover, the statement also explained that a leader of a group is not equivalent to a “tour guide” and that the government authority will not directly assume a group tour leader is an “illegal tour guide.”
The government stated that information available on the internet is insufficient evidence to charge people with being “illegal tour guides.” Macau’s law stipulates that group tours must be accompanied by a tour guide, but the law does not define group tours simply by the number of people in a group, according to the statement, which also says that tourism activities promoted online do not necessarily require tour guides.
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