Hong Kong as a supranational destination for Chinese tourists

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper examines how travel between China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is a function of the constitutional arrangement negotiated between China and Britain, leading up to the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. The Joint Sino-British Agreement allowed ‘Hong Kong, China’ to function as a separate customs territory and, importantly, to retain membership in the World Trade Organization (W.T.O.). As such, China has had to negotiate a series of trade arrangements in accordance with W.T.O. regulations. From a tourism perspective, Hong Kong has become a supranational destination for Chinese tourists that functions as an ‘independent’ sub-state of China. The paper then examines empirically the impact this relationship has had on tourist flows and subsequent tourist behavior.