A geographic analysis of hosts' irritation levels towards mainland Chinese cross-border day-trippers

There is a proliferation of research on Chinese tourists' unpleasant behaviour in host destinations, but analyses on cross-border day-trippers remain scarce. This paper offers a geographic analysis of hosts' attitude towards mainland Chinese visitors in Sheung Shui, a border town in Hong Kong. It utilises a novel adaptation of G.V. Doxey's Irridex Model together with Geographical Information System to spatially assess attitudes of over 280 shop owners. The spatial differentiation of antagonism levels, and correlations between irritation and factors like business type and distance from major transport hubs were discussed. Results revealed businesses related to 'Fashion and beauty' and 'Supermarkets and convenient stores' had greater resentment. There were also statistically significant differences between irritation levels and the shortest distances to various transport hubs (p < 0.001). The findings will have implications on the planning and management of the flow and circulation of mainland Chinese travelers in Hong Kong.