China watcher says Hong Kong’s talk of need for wealthy tourists over mainstream ones makes ‘mainland compatriots very uncomfortable’

Lau Siu-kai of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies says ‘lingering stereotypes and discrimination’ could put off mainland visitors

He adds tourism recovery needs joint effort by government and society to make ordinary mainland Chinese tourists feel welcome

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Tourists take in the waterfront at Tsim Sha Tsui. A report from the China Tourism Academy released last week looked at the emphasis Hong Kong put on bringing in big spenders. Photo: Jelly Tse

Published: 6:00pm, 1 Jun 2024Updated: 10:50pm, 1 Jun 2024

A veteran China watcher and academic has appealed to Hong Kong officials to downplay talk of the need for high-quality tourists and called on the city to tackle discrimination against visitors from mainland China to help restore their confidence.

Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, said a report from the Beijing-endorsed China Tourism Academy released last week had looked at the emphasis Hong Kong put on bringing in big spenders.

The report suggested that Hong Kong should work to make mainland tourists feel welcome in the city.

“Some people in Hong Kong often talk about attracting high-quality tourists, which makes mainland compatriots very uncomfortable,” Lau said.

“Negative public opinion” and the anti-government protests of 2019 were mentioned in the report as reasons for the fluctuation in the number of mainland visitors to the city over the past 10 years.

“Social divisions, grievances, and lingering stereotypes and discrimination against people from the mainland make tourists feel uncomfortable, and they also feel they have become the target for locals to vent their anger,” Lau said.