“Budget travel is the trend these days,” Yang said. “If you can rent a double room in Shenzhen for only 400 yuan per night, there is no way I would spend nearly HK$2,000 (US$256) per night on hotels in Hong Kong. »
He added that they had no plans to go shopping, although they had spent time in malls having coffee during Saturday's downpours.
“We don't like luxury brands and there's nothing attractive enough for us to buy, honestly,” Yang said. “Our money is mainly spent on street snacks and cheaper meals. »
Yang said he only spent HK$800 just walking around the city and taking photos as recommended by China's Instagram-like social media site Xiaohongshu in Tsim Sha Tsui, Central and Kennedy Town .
About 670,000 mainland tourists visited Hong Kong during the first four days of the holiday, from Wednesday to Sunday last year, despite gray skies and rainy weather.
Secretary of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said mainland tourist attendance during the five days will be in line with expectations of 800,000 people, with a total expenditure of more than $2 billion from Hong Kong.
Kelly Xu Jie, from Shenzhen, also said she had no plans to spend money on fancy hotels or shopping.
She and a friend commuted between Futian and Hong Kong during her three-day visit to the city to save money.
“We arrived at Lan Kwai Fong in Central on Friday and enjoyed a bowl of beef brisket noodles,” said the 23-year-old online shop owner.
“Over the next two days, we explored the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront and the Yau Ma Tei police station.
Spending by mainland visitors to exceed HK$2 billion during holiday: minister
Spending by mainland visitors to exceed HK$2 billion during holiday: minister
“We just found cafes to relax in when it rained. Honestly, we don't need to shop in Hong Kong because you can buy almost everything online in Shenzhen with fast delivery.
Zhang Weixing, 26, a factory supervisor from Fujian province, stayed with a relative in Kai Tak for his four-day trip with a cousin, who was on his first trip to Hong Kong, and spent around 600 Hong Kong dollars at a pharmacy.
“I just took my cousin to do the basic things, like walk both sides of Victoria Harbour, take the Star Ferry and the tram.”
Zhang added that they also visited the tower's “monster buildings” at Quarry Bay, which were featured in a big hit. Transformers movie.
They said they also found prices in Hong Kong a bit high.
“A cup of coffee in a shopping mall costs around HK$50, while a meal can easily cost around HK$200 per person,” Zhang said. “So we ended up staying at our relatives’ house to play video games in the rain.
“In the future, we may choose to travel to other cities in mainland China during a long vacation. At least things will be cheaper and we will have more things to do. »
But Charlene Liang, 27, a textile trader from Guangxi, bucked the budget trend and forked out about HK$8,000 while staying with her parents in Hong Kong.
“Even though the expenses were higher, since it was my parents' first trip here, we decided to stay in a hotel and do some shopping,” she said. “My mother focused on buying skin care products and my father bought two watches.”
Expand scheme for solo travelers in mainland China, say Hong Kong tourism leaders
Expand scheme for solo travelers in mainland China, say Hong Kong tourism leaders
The trio also spent HK$1,200 on three tickets for a boat tour in Victoria Harbor on Sunday evening, as they were unable to do so earlier due to heavy rain in recent days.
Some mainland Xiaohongshu users pointed out how different a visit to Hong Kong during the Labor Day golden week was from the experience four or five years ago.
“MTR stations are not as crowded, there are few people in pharmacies and there are fewer people dragging their suitcases to do their shopping,” one wrote.
“Buying electronics and luxury goods is not cheap. I just bought medicine for my family. I really don't know what else to buy.
Another user from Guangdong province said this was his most disappointing trip to the city compared to several previous visits – particularly the quality of service at a restaurant he visited.
“I don’t expect them (waiters) to smile and provide service all the time,” the man said.
“But I really don't understand their gesture of holding out their hand as if they are stopping you from speaking. This is simply unreasonable and makes you feel intruded.
“To be honest, with an unfavorable exchange rate and unreasonably high prices for groceries, poor quality accommodation, basic food and such terrible service attitudes, I don't see any reason to come here anymore.
