The continued normalisation of cross border travel between mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao has led to a new phase of tourism recovery in the region. The tourism industry no longer faces the challenge of restoring visitor volumes; rather, it must determine how to monetise evolving travel patterns characterised by shorter stays, increased price sensitivity and more deliberate spending behaviour.
In collaboration with THINK CHINA,
the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has released the findings of a joint research study examining the spending habits, mobility patterns and value creation of mainland Chinese tourists in Hong Kong and Macao.
Led by Prof. Kam Hung, Principal Investigator and SHTM Professor; Prof. Tony Tse, Co Investigator and SHTM Professor of Practice; and Mr Benjamin Sun, Co Investigator and Managing Director of THINK CHINA, this study
translates empirical findings into strategic, forward looking recommendations for destination managers, tourism operators and policymakers.
The research uses a rigorous mixed method design to analyse 3,209 valid survey responses from 1,928 and 1,281 mainland Chinese visitors to Hong Kong and Macao, respectively. The findings reveal that mainland Chinese tourists should not be treated as a single demand pool, as their spending behaviour and value creation vary significantly by trip type,
accommodation choice and destination context.
Key insights from this study include the importance of distinguishing between same day and overnight visitors, as the former offer strong potential for lifetime value through repeated visits, while the latter spend more per trip on shopping, dining and experiential activities. Furthermore, accommodation choices are a strong commercial signal that reflects selective premiumisation, rather than purely budget driven behaviour.
This study
further highlights the continued importance of luxury shoppers as the highest value segment of visitors, particularly with respect to Hong Kong's established retail districts and Macao's integrated resort zones. Beauty and family shoppers emerge as scalable value pools that can generate broader economic impact through expanded category participation.
Importantly, the findings of this study emphasise that Hong Kong and Macao should differentiate their strategic approaches. Hong Kong's
strength lies in converting short, multi stop visits into retail and dining spending, while Macao's advantage is its ability to integrate gaming, entertainment, MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions), resort stays and retail into unified value pathways.
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