Xiaohongshu, a popular social media platform in mainland China, is reshaping Hong Kong’s tourism landscape by emphasizing cultural experiences over shopping. With over 200 million monthly active users, as reported by the South China Morning Post, the app guides tourists to unconventional destinations and promotes authentic experiences.
Tourists like Wei from Shenyang and his wife have used Xiaohongshu to explore Hong Kong’s culture and historical sites instead of shopping. They visited locations from their favourite films and admired the city’s vintage architecture. Similarly, a Malaysian tourist, Apple, used the app to find picturesque spots for selfies and videos.
Xiaohongshu’s influence extends beyond China, reaching Mandarin-speaking communities globally. The app’s recommendations have popularized destinations such as a busy footbridge in Mong Kok, where tourists capture Hong Kong’s nostalgic vibe and the Yau Ma Tei Police Station heritage site.
This trend towards experience-based tourism comes as Hong Kong’s retail sector struggles, with a 14.7% drop in sales in April compared to the previous year. The city aims to restore visitor numbers to pre-pandemic levels, having welcomed 34 million tourists last year, 55% of the pre-COVID figures.
Hong Kong Tourism Board partners with Xiaohongshu
The Hong Kong Tourism Board has partnered with Xiaohongshu to promote the city’s cultural tourism, resulting in over 10,000 posts about travelling in Hong Kong. A recent campaign invited 88 influencers to share their experiences, strengthening collaboration between the platform and the tourism board. This experiential approach aims to attract repeat visitors and support sustainable tourism growth in Hong Kong.
