Intergroup Identity Conflict in Tourism: The Voice of the Tourist

Abstract

Over the last decade, political tensions between Hong Kong and mainland China over the territory’s status, culminating with the 2019/20 pro-democracy demonstrations, spilled over into tourism, with rising antagonism among “HongKongers” toward Chinese tourists. Central to these strained relationships are complex identity tensions that position HongKongers as distinct from mainland Chinese, despite being essentially “compatriots.” The sense of belonging to a social group is derived from the interactions that distinguish “us” from “others,” whilst the Chinese have been signified as “others” in this scenario, their perspectives on the issue are poorly understood. This study utilizes social identity theory to unpack these identity positions. Our results uncover changes in Chinese tourists’ reflections on perceived othering they experienced by HongKongers and how identity plays a significant role in redefining relationships between hosts and guests.