Mainland visitors flock to Hong Kong despite Occupy protests

Mainland tourists have been undeterred by Hong Kong’s ongoing Occupy Central protests and have not cancelled future travel plans to the city, although some remained disapproving of the “Umbrella Movement” after visiting protest sites in Mong Kok, Admiralty and Causeway Bay.

Reading Time:3 minutes

Occupy Central protest sites have emerged as a new attraction for Hong Kong people and overseas tourists, but few mainland tourists have put them on their tight travel schedules. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 9:45pm, 5 Nov 2014Updated: 2:55pm, 6 Nov 2014

Many mainland Chinese tourists are undeterred by Hong Kong’s ongoing Occupy Central protests and would not cancel future travel plans to the city, although some remained disapproving of the “Umbrella Movement” after visiting protest sites in Mong Kok, Admiralty and Causeway Bay.

“I would like to come [to Hong Kong] again if the opportunity arises,” said 81-year-old Mr Ma from Henan province, despite his strong opposition to the movement which he said was affecting China’s “stability and unity”.

“I think most mainland Chinese are like this [pragmatic]. As long as their lives are not affected by the protests, they will continue to visit Hong Kong,” said Jojo, a 20 year-old student from Shanxi province who is currently studying in Guangzhou.

Such pragmatism has been reflected in recent visitor numbers from China, with the number of mainland visitors increasing 6.8 per cent to 1.09 million over the golden week holiday that began on October 1, recent data from the Travel Industry Council showed.

While the Occupy Central protest sites have emerged as a new attraction for Hong Kong people and overseas tourists – with their iconic art displays like “Umbrella Man”, the “Lennon Wall” in Admiralty and a parody paper statue of Chinese President Xi Jinping shown holding a yellow umbrella – few mainland tourists have put the Occupy sites on their tight travel schedules.

At the Mong Kok protest site, most tourists pass quickly by dragging rolling suitcases, only stopping to take an occasional photo during a break from shopping or when crossing the road.

The South China Morning Post spoke to a number of tourists in Mong Kok and Causeway Bay who took a moment to look around the protest sites and take pictures of them on their mobile phones.