In recent years Hong Kong entrepreneurs have built many factories, bought goods and engaged in business on a large scale in Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. Now many Shenzhen people are making the journey to Hong Kong where they are already becoming known as a major consumer group. Travel agencies estimate that the visitors from Shenzhen will each spend over HK$5,000 dollars (about US$640).
According to staff at the Luohu Frontier Inspection Station, some 40 to 50 parties of tourists now leave for Hong Kong every day with over 70 percent of these being from Shenzhen.
Shenzhen tourism officials note that there are also many people looking after their own travel arrangements and making visa applications through travel agencies. The number of Shenzhen people traveling to Hong Kong has been continuously increasing. This has been especially the case since April 2002 when more flexible policies on non-residents in Hong Kong were introduced and 19 travel agencies have been accredited.
After visiting Hong Kong, most Shenzhen tourists return home loaded with purchases. Li Dangsheng of the Kanghui Shenzhen Travel Agency said, “The main expenditure by Shenzhen tourists in Hong Kong is on shopping. The popular items include brand name clothing, cosmetics, notebook PCs and digital cameras. Other favorites are mobile phones, high-quality watches and jewelry.”
Li added, “Our travel agency alone provides a service to 1,000 or so visitors to Hong Kong from Shenzhen every day.”
Statistics released by the Hong Kong Tourism Board in March this year show a total of 13.7 million tourists visited Hong Kong last year. Average expenditure was HK$4,532 (US$581). Visitors from Chinese hinterland however were the big spenders averaging HK$5,169 (US$663).
(china.org.cn by Li Xiao, October 9, 2002)
