Evaluating the effect of China’s one-child on shopping behaviour of VFR tourists in tourism destinations

ABSTRACT Parents have a tendency to spend what might be seen as excessive amounts of money on their only one-child offspring. Thus, the new surge of interest in the importance of the marketing of the one-child has led to an increased need for understanding the shopping behaviour of VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives) tourists hosted by their single offspring. However, their economic significance has largely been overlooked in the field of tourism and it remains an under-researched area. This paper therefore helps to fill this gap by examining the effect of China’s one-child on shopping behaviour of VFR tourists in Macau as a tourism destination using a qualitative approach. The paper compares shopping behaviour in the places of origin and in the tourism destination of Macau to highlight the impact of China’s one-child on choice.