When it comes to travel destinations in mainland China, Macao residents overwhelmingly prefer Beijing, followed by Shanghai and Guangdong. That’s according to the results of a study conducted by the Asian Tourism Exchange Centre and cited by various Chinese media outlets. As part of the research, nearly 1,600 Macao and Hong Kong residents were surveyed between April and June.
Macao locals were also inclined to travel to Jiangsu province, which was ranked fourth on the list. This was followed by Tianjin, Guangxi province, Hunan province, Tibet, Chongqing and Guizhou. The results for Hong Kong residents were somewhat similar, with Beijing, Xinjiang and Guangdong ranked first, second and third respectively.
In terms of frequency of travel to the mainland, 39 percent of Macao residents made 10 or more trips over the course of a year, while only 17 percent of Hongkongers made that many journeys.
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The study noted that the abundance of tourist attractions and affordability were the main factors that drew SAR residents to mainland China. Shopping and dining were also major lures, with the study reporting that 27 percent of Macao locals and 47 percent of Hong Kong locals travelled to mainland China for this reason.
Flying was the preferred way of getting around China, as indicated by 33 percent of Macao residents and 35 percent of Hong Kong locals. This was followed closely by high-speed rail, which was the transport of choice for 25 percent of Macao residents and 35 percent of Hongkongers.
Some 80 percent of respondents indicated that they preferred trips of up to 6 days, with most preferring visits of 4 to 6 days.
