With the slowdown of the Chinese economy, the consumption patterns and behaviors of Mainland Chinese tourists visiting Hong Kong have also undergone a significant change. Many Chinese tourists are no longer spending lavishly, but have become more budget-conscious. Some even opt to stay overnight in Shenzhen to save money.
Last week during the May Day holiday, Laura Li, 28, from Liaoning Province, and her 20-year-old cousin Diego Deng were among the young visitors exploring Hong Kong. Instead of joining tour groups or shopping at luxury stores, they prefer to follow free walking guides on social media to wander around the city.
“I personally don’t like group tours because they limit my freedom,” Miss Li said in an interview with Reuters outside the Yau Ma Tei Police Station. The Edwardian-style neoclassical building is a popular spot for Mainland tourists, appearing in Hong Kong TV dramas and movies.
“I prefer that kind of aimless city stroll,” she added.
Daniel Leung, Assistant Professor at The School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, pointed out that the change in travel and consumption habits of Mainland tourists is primarily due to the slow recovery of the Chinese economy.
“The speed of China’s economic recovery is not as fast as expected. People are becoming more cautious in spending discretionary income,” Leung said.
Today, Chinese tourists visiting Hong Kong often have lower budgets, in stark contrast to the extravagant spending seen in the years before the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the number of Hong Kong residents traveling to the Mainland for shopping and tourism has significantly increased, with many noting that products and food in Mainland China are cheaper than in Hong Kong.
Simon Wong, who runs a restaurant in Hong Kong, told local media that during the May Day holiday, his restaurant’s business was down by about 10% compared to previous years when business was booming.
Miss Li and her cousin chose to stay at a hotel in Shenzhen and spend about an hour commuting back to Hong Kong during the day to visit attractions. They only spent around HK$500 (approximately $63.97 USD) on transportation, Ferris wheel tickets, and food.
She mentioned that a useful tip from social media was to bring bottled water into Hong Kong because it’s cheaper. “I found that water sold for 1 yuan on the Mainland is sold for 10 yuan here,” she said.