Hong Kong residents should not discriminate against Chinese mainland tourists, while the latter should improve their civil habits so as not to disturb the residents of the overseas cities they visit, says an article in People's Daily Overseas Edition. Excerpts:

Of late, the number of mainland tourists visiting Hong Kong has declined, dealing a blow to its hospitality and retail sectors. Although the Hong Kong tourism industry has said fewer mainland tourists are visiting the city because they have new and multiple choices now, the true reason may have much to do with Hong Kong residents' discriminatory behavior toward mainland tourists.

Such discriminatory behavior is not related to tourism issues only, although there is no denying that some mainland tourists do behave badly and create problems in Hong Kong residents' daily life. Nevertheless, only a small group of Hong Kong residents discriminate against mainland tourists.

Some people unhappy with their life or prejudiced against the mainland fled to Hong Kong before it reunited with the motherland. Also, before 1997 (the year of the reunion), many Hong Kong-made films showed the mainland in poor light and thus influenced Hong Kong residents' views against the mainland and its residents. Some Hong Kong residents still see their mainland compatriots in the same light.

Moreover, for a century Hong Kong was an arena of different political forces. As a result, Hong Kong residents follow various ideologies and are manipulated by different political groups and thus refuse to accept the prosperity of mainlanders.

Hong Kong authorities should be aware of the real reason for the decline in the number of mainland tourists and take measures to resolve the issue. But that does not mean that mainland tourists don't have to improve their overall civic behavior.

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