Ultra-low-priced tours exploiting mainland Chinese visitors survive despite crackdown

Despite renewed government scrutiny, ultra-low-priced Hong Kong tour packages that rely on commissions from additional purchases continue to exploit mainland Chinese visitors, according to a South China Morning Post investigation. The Travel Industry Authority revoked the licenses of a travel agency and its tour guide after four cases of suspected coerced shopping between January and March. Yet an SCMP reporter who joined a one-day local tour found packages priced as low as 48 yuan (US$7) per person on Alibaba's Fliggy platform. The tour included transport, lunch, and visits to attractions like Wong Tai Sin Temple and the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, but the guide pressured visitors to spend on optional activities and shopping stops. Some tourists even signed up via Xianyu, Alibaba's second-hand goods marketplace, for as little as 1 yuan.

The practice has sparked concerns about the treatment of mainland tourists during the Labour Day golden week holiday (May 1-5). While officials and industry representatives describe these cases as isolated, the investigation reveals a persistent business model that exploits low upfront prices to drive revenue through high-pressure sales tactics. The online travel marketplace Fliggy, a subsidiary of Alibaba (which also owns the SCMP), remains a key channel for these tours. The findings highlight the challenge regulators face in curbing such practices, as low-cost packages continue to attract budget-conscious travelers from mainland China.