Local residents’ perceptions of the social impacts of Mainland tourists on Hong Kong

The purpose of this study is twofold: to explore the attitudes of local residents toward Mainland Chinese visitors, and to examine Hong Kong residents’ perceptions of their social impacts. Existing theories and findings form the basis for interviews: a focus group interview with seven participants from a low-educated background, and five interviews with individuals from a high-educated background. Empirical findings reveal that the most important positive impact of Mainland visitors was identified as the economic benefits like job opportunities and income. The major negative impacts were an increased cost of living, littering, and overcrowding. The findings show that the high-educated group welcome Mainland visitors and tend to accept cultural differences. Besides cultural difference, other regionspecific factors like the exaggeration of the media and the status in change of Hong Kong residents also affect the relationship between Mainland visitors and local residents.