TONGCHENG Travel, a leading Chinese online travel services provider, released its 2024 Summer Travel Trends Report for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) on Monday. Travel among GBA cities has witnessed a significant surge in popularity, reflecting the vibrant interconnectivity and cultural richness of this dynamic region. More HKers prefer GBA cities According to the report, the four core cities of the GBA — Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macao — are all popular summer travel destinations. Hong Kong and Macao rank among the top 20 most popular outbound destinations for mainland residents this summer. Weekend trips between the core cities have remained popular since the beginning of the year. More and more Hong Kong residents are traveling to the mainland, while residents from Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Huizhou, Zhuhai, and Zhongshan are very interested in traveling to Hong Kong and Macao. Data from Tongcheng’s one-stop inbound travel booking platform, HopeGoo, indicates that Shenzhen is the most popular mainland city for Hong Kong travelers, which is followed by Guangzhou and Shanwei in Guangdong Province, Haikou in Hainan Province, Chengdu in Sichuan Province, Shanghai, and Beijing. Seven of the top 20 most popular cities for Hong Kong travelers are located in Guangdong. With the opening of the Shenzhong (Shenzhen-Zhongshan) Link, Zhongshan has become a new weekend getaway choice for some Hong Kong tourists. Additionally, data shows that Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Huizhou, and Dongguan are the top choices for Hong Kong residents’ short weekend trips. For long-distance trips predominantly favored by Hong Kong families and parent-child groups, mainland cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Chengdu, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Changsha, and Wuhan rank high. ‘Citywalk’ and parent-child travel HopeGoo’s data also shows that Hong Kong residents visiting Shenzhen and Guangzhou primarily prefer popular activities like rafting, bathing in hot springs, visiting spas, fruit picking, camping, “citywalks” (exploring a city on foot), golfing, horseback riding, and outdoor hiking. Overall, their spending is focused on leisure, with vacations ranging from luxury options to cost-effective city sightseeing. In terms of age, Hong Kong’s younger adult residents — 25 to 45 years old — are the main demographic traveling to the mainland. The 25 to 35-year-old group mainly consists of couples who prefer visiting landmarks or attractions that are highly recommended by netizens. “Citywalks,” which are popular among mainland youth, are also favored by young Hong Kong residents. Conversely, the 36 to 45-year-old group typically consists of family travelers who prefer child-friendly attractions such as zoos and theme parks. GBA’s popular scenic spots According to Tongcheng, there is a significant increase in bookings for major attractions in the GBA this summer. Notable attractions such as the Guangzhou Zoo, the Dinghu Mountain Scenic Area in Zhaoqing, Hong Kong Disneyland, the Turtle Bay in Huizhou, and the Zhanyuan Garden in Zhongshan — the largest private garden in the Lingnan area — are in high demand. The report also showed that the Guangzhou Zoo is a popular choice for Hong Kong residents’ parent-child trips to the mainland this summer, while Hong Kong Disneyland is a favorite for mainland residents’ parent-child trips to Hong Kong. (Liu Yangyang) | 