Anger towards mainland visitors likely to worsen unless problems addressed
With mainland tourist numbers forecast to rise, local resentment towards the visitors is likely to worsen unless problems are addressed, writes Bernice Chan
Feelings that ordinary residents' interests are being ignored in pursuit of the mainland tourist dollar have not abated in the two years since users of the Golden Forum website raised funds for a full-page advert in Apple Daily, attacking the visitors and describing them as "locusts".
There have already been two protests in the first quarter of this year, including one in Tsim Sha Tsui where abuse was directed at passing Putonghua-speaking shoppers.
The work of an extreme fringe, such ugly displays of discrimination have been condemned. But residents' resentment continues to grow. This anger isn't without cause, community leaders say, and it stems from the government's failure to address the strain that the influx of mainland tourists places on services.
Frustrations are especially acute in mainly housing districts such as To Kwa Wan, which has been used as a staging post for tour groups in recent years. Long-time resident Lin Mei-ying says the flood of visitors makes it difficult just to leave and enter her building every day.
"I live above the Fu Yuen restaurant on To Kwa Wan Road, which caters only to mainland tourists, serving them breakfast, lunch and dinner," she says. "The restaurant doesn't have space inside for them to sit while they wait for tables, so they stand outside and smoke and talk. They gather outside the entrance of my building, so it's hard to get in and out.
"There have even been incidents of people throwing eggs and water balloons [from the flats above] so that they are not so loud and troublesome."
It's such a struggle to get through the crowd assembled on the pavement, many passers-by resort to walking on the street instead, says another resident, Kwok Ho-chuen.