又怕吃不飽，又怕吃不消，正是香港旅遊業面臨的兩難困境。由於內地訪港旅客持續增長，導致中港矛盾不斷惡化，港府考慮控制個人遊數量，雖然仍在初步探討階段，但已經引起商界強烈反彈，可見問題的爭議性極大。

針無兩頭利，個人遊為香港帶來滾滾財源，創造大量基層就業機會。但另一方面，由於香港地方不大，加上兩地居民文化及生活習慣不同，兩地居民摩擦不斷。港府提出改善建議，無疑是應有之義，但要真正解決問題，恐怕不是那麼容易。

眾所周知，香港是自由出入的城市，要控制個人遊人數，只能依靠內地當局。問題是，個人遊之門易開難關，如今想開倒車限制人數，究竟該從何入手呢？怕只怕，一旦內地當局應港府要求限制個人遊，勢必引起內地民眾不滿，中港矛盾進一步惡化，香港蒙受經濟及聲譽的雙重損失。

說到底，隨着內地經濟持續發展，來港旅遊的人只會愈來愈多，不管當局實施多少限制，也無法完全消除其負面影響。魚與熊掌無法兼得，究竟是清淨重要，還是發展旅遊及經濟重要，值得整個社會反思。

Individual Travel Scheme Raises question over Tranquility and Economy

The Hong Kong tourism is now walking a fine line between tranquility and economy. The gradual growth in the number of mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong is deepening the conflicts between the two places. The Hong Kong government has come up with a plan, though preliminary, to control the number; however, noises of disapproval abound among the business communities. This has demonstrated the highly controversial nature of the problem.

You cannot burn a candle at both ends. Individual Travel Scheme is the cash cow of Hong Kong and it opens up to plentiful job opportunities for the grassroots; however, the dissonance is augmented by the pint-sized Hong Kong and the distinctive cultures and livelihood between Hong Kong and mainland China. Although the Hong Kong government has put forward an enhancement plan simply out of a sense of responsibility, to totally eradicate the problem is no easy task.

Hong Kong is a city well-known for its mobility rights. To control the flow of individual travelers, we can do nothing but rely on the mainland authority. The crux of the problem is, once the Individual Travel Scheme is relaxed, that it is hard to be tightened. Now the administration wants to put it into reverse and impose a cap to the number, the question is do they know where to begin? One concern is, if the mainland authority tightens the Scheme, it will risk invoking public uproar among the mainlanders, further weakening the bonding and Hong Kong will suffer from damages in both economy and reputation.

After all, as China’s economic development continues, the number of mainland tourists in Hong Kong will only go up. Regardless of how many restrictions imposed by the authority, the negative impacts entailed can never be eliminated. As the saying goes, “you can’t have a cake and eat it.” The society should reflect on whether tranquility or development in tourism and economy is more important.

重要生字

Walk a fine line… 面臨兩難困境

You cannot burn a candle at both end 針無兩頭利

Cash cow 滾滾財源

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