Risk and Identity Conflicts of Chinese Tourists to Hong Kong, 2021-2022

Zhang, Xiaoyue (2022). Risk and Identity Conflicts of Chinese Tourists to Hong Kong, 2021-2022. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Service. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-855585

Recent protests in Hong Kong have dominated international media, amongst which have been protesters
displaying banners encouraging that “CHINESE: GET OUT”. What is striking about this is that Hong Kong
returned to China in 1997, and 93% of people are ethnically Chinese. This complicated question of identity
politics reflects wider debates about migration, borders and the role of international tourism in promoting peace
and intercultural understanding. Specifically, questions of risk perception linked to national or ethnic identity in
travel behaviour become paramount. Sense of belonging to a social group is derived from the interactions that
distinguish “us” from “others”, whilst the Chinese have been signified as “others” in this scenario, their
perspectives on the issue are poorly understood. This study examines Chinese tourists’ reflections on the
negative image projected on them by their Hong Kong “compatriots” and its influence on their travel
behaviours. The implications for UK tourism are assessed.

Data description (abstract)

Recent protests in Hong Kong have dominated international media, amongst which have been protesters displaying banners encouraging that “CHINESE: GET OUT”. What is striking about this is that Hong Kong returned to China in 1997, and 93% of people are ethnically Chinese. This complicated question of identity politics reflects wider debates about migration, borders and the role of international tourism in promoting peace and intercultural understanding. Specifically, questions of risk perception linked to national or ethnic identity in
travel behaviour become paramount. Sense of belonging to a social group is derived from the interactions that distinguish “us” from “others”, whilst the Chinese have been signified as “others” in this scenario, their perspectives on the issue are poorly understood. This study examines Chinese tourists’ reflections on the negative image projected on them by their Hong Kong “compatriots” and its influence on their travel behaviours. The implications for UK tourism are assessed. The dataset here contains primary qualitative data (30 interviews).

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