Second-home Tourism in Tropical China: residents’ perception of socio-economic impacts

Abstract

ABSTRACT Despite the significant growth of second-home tourism research, its geographical focus remains limited to a few countries. China has become a global economic powerhouse, with a rapidly growing middle class with disposable income. A combination of the latter with a range of favourable socialist housing policies and unique cultural forces have encouraged, and in some cases demanded, multiple-home ownership among Chinese families. At the forefront of this phenomenon are vast numbers of senior snowbirds who have chosen the tropical island of Hainan as the location of their second home. While there has been some investigation around this topic in select locations in China, the academic understanding of this phenomenon remains in its infancy. This paper investigates residents’ perceptions of Haikou, the capital of Hainan Province, regarding the socio-economic impact of second-home ownership on their lives, communities and the city. The results of this study will inform policy recommendations for local government while shedding new light on global narratives on second-home tourism phenomena.