Eighty per cent of tourists from the mainland stay in Hong Kong for up to a week, spending an average of $8,000 each, a survey has found.
The poll - carried out during 'golden week', the holiday that follows National Day on October 1 - was of 567 mainlanders questioned at top tourist spots. They were asked about their preferences and expectations in Hong Kong for investment, travel, shopping, dining and spending.
Despite lower incomes and a lower cost of living than Hong Kong, mainland tourists spend an average of $8,000 during their visits, with 64 per of it going on shopping, 14 per cent on dining, and the rest on accommodation, entertainment and transport.
Clothes dominated shopping lists, with cosmetics coming a close second for women and young people. However, respondents who were middle-aged or older were most interested in buying jewellery and audio-visual goods.
Ninety per cent were happy with their visit and thought Hong Kong was clean, with easy-to-use public transport and polite people. Eleven per cent said they were interested in buying property, especially those aged 45 to 54.
Opening bank accounts and buying insurance products in Hong Kong interested almost a quarter of the visitors, with life insurance being the most popular.
