September 20, 2019, 02:29 AM
Singapore is experiencing an unprecedented influx of tourists from mainland China as they shun the city of Hong Kong due to concerns over the ongoing protests.
Spike in mainland Chinese tourist arrivals from June to July
According to figures released by the Singapore Tourism Board, 389,219 travellers from mainland China arrived in the city-state in July this year, which was a huge 46 percent spike from the 265,998 that arrived in June.
The number is the highest that Singapore has ever received in a single month within the last two decades, at the very least.
Industry experts told South China Morning Post (SCMP) there have always been more Chinese tourists travelling overseas during the summer school holidays, but Singapore has received an even higher number this time round as travellers avoid going to protest-ridden Hong Kong.
China's summer holidays this year for schools lasted from mid-July to the end of August.
Mainland Chinese skipping Hong Kong
A 21-year-old Chinese student in London, Wang Mengzhe, told SCMP he made a conscious decision to avoid going to Hong Kong this summer holiday, despite the city being a frequent getaway for him.
Other than safety reasons, he said he wanted to make a political statement.
Like him, many mainland Chinese do not want to contribute to Hong Kong's economy in any way as they see Hongkongers as being "ungrateful", he explained.
Surge in Chinese tourists to Southeast Asia
Other Asian countries also experienced a surge in tourist arrivals from mainland China.
Thailand saw a 9.4 percent rise between June and July, while the figure jumped 30 percent in the Philippines, according to SCMP.
Michael Chiam, a senior lecturer in tourism at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, told SCMP that tensions between Beijing and places such as Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, have led mainland Chinese travellers to view these destinations as less attractive than Southeast Asia.
And in spite of China's weakening yuan amidst an ongoing trade war with the United States, tourist arrivals from mainland China to Southeast Asian countries still experienced a jump.
However, Chiam said the surge in tourist numbers might not necessarily translate to greater spending, as some Chinese might be tightening their belts due to uncertainties resulting from the U.S.-China trade dispute.
Background
Growing tensions
Hong Kong has been rocked by 15 straight weeks of protests, which show no signs of ceasing.
Tensions between the mainland Chinese and Hongkongers have risen ever since the latter took to the streets in June to oppose a proposed bill that would allow case-by-case extradition of criminals to mainland China.
The movement later morphed into a broader call for greater police accountability and democratic rights such as electoral reforms.
Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam has since announced the formal withdrawal of the bill -- a concession which protesters say is "too little, too late".
Anti-government Hongkongers have kept up their protest efforts across Hong Kong, even coming up with an unofficial anthem that was entirely crowdsourced anonymously.
#LIVE: Hundreds gather at Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong to sing #GlorytoHongKong, what they consider Hong Kong’s anthem, and #DoYouHearThePeopleSing with an ad hoc chamber music group after marching at the nearby City University of Hong Kong. #antiELAB #ExtraditionLaw pic.twitter.com/Ov5MIajg9V
— Ezra Cheung (@ezracheungtoto) September 18, 2019
In response, pro-Beijing demonstrators have exercised their right to free speech as well, showing up in droves to wave the national flag and sing the Chinese national anthem, the "March of the Volunteers".
https://www.facebook.com/standnewshk/photos/a.720050934747196/2450765801675692/Opposing camps clash
Violent skirmishes have also broken out between both camps.
Anti-government protesters fight with #Beijing supporters in #HongKong streets pic.twitter.com/nHpewxsNvX
— RT (@RT_com) September 18, 2019
Photos and videos circulating online show light-blue-shirted men in Fortress Hill - a pro-Beijing stronghold - tearing down "Lennon Walls" and beating people up on Saturday afternoon.
— Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (@hkfp) September 14, 2019
In full: https://t.co/kmLJLFCnSX. #hongkong #hongkongprotests #antiELAB pic.twitter.com/0zetGN1JcF
Some users of Hong Kong's Reddit-like forum LIHKG have even suggested protesters take matters into their own hands and deal with pro-Beijing demonstrators themselves, instead of letting the police handle it.
The common perception among these protesters is that the government have chosen to ignore their grievances of police brutality, and that the police have shown “double standards” in their treatment of anti-establishment protesters and pro-Beijing counter-protesters.
https://twitter.com/lokinhei/status/1173266225918439424
While the young man in the 1st pic had his head bloodied while being subdued by cops, the man in the 2nd (wearing a white tee characteristic of thugs who've been beating up protesters & bystanders) appears to have the luxury of using a police shield to hide his face from cameras pic.twitter.com/uOugTskwGH
— Mary Hui (@maryhui) September 15, 2019
More on the Hong Kong protests:
Top image adapted via @smilepig0906 & @jinbo_pan
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