In recent months, a large number of ultra-cheap Hong Kong one-day tour packages have appeared on a certain second-hand trading platform, with departures running every day.
The prices are so outrageous that even Hong Kong locals joke that they would join the tour just to hitch a cheap ride.
On social media, some travel bloggers—driven by curiosity—have tried the famous “RMB 3 (about USD 0.4）Hong Kong day tour.” During the bus ride of more than an hour, the tour guide spent almost the entire time promoting three optional paid activities, each priced between RMB 150 and RMB 180（about USD 22 and USD 26).
Compared with the brief 20–30 minutes spent checking in at scenic spots, tourists stayed in designated shopping stores for as long as an hour.
As one industry insider, Mr. A, put it: “A travel agency definitely loses money on a RMB 3 tour. The fee is basically symbolic. On these trips, guides usually don’t receive a service fee either. Their profit comes entirely from commissions on optional activities and shopping rebates. So you can imagine how much pressure they put on tourists.”
Wei Tang, a tour leader with more than a decade of experience, has seen many irregularities in the tourism market. In his view, low-price tours have always existed, in recent years, they have shifted from offline storefronts to online platforms.
A closer look shows that many of the RMB 3 tour listings on second-hand platforms clearly specify their target audience, such as first-time visitors or travelers bringing elderly family members and children—groups whose consumption behavior is easier to predict.
Tang also believes that the rise of short-video platforms and second-hand marketplaces has indirectly provided new customer-acquisition channels for these low-price tours.
At the same time, online traffic funnels not only reduce distribution costs for local ground operators but also enable far more precise targeting.
“In the past, Hong Kong ground operators had to cooperate with mainland travel agencies. Channel commissions were unavoidable, along with various relationship-building and public-relations costs. Now much of that cost is gone,” Tang said.
“There are more than a thousand county-level cities in mainland China. Information gaps will always exist and there will always be new ‘fat sheep.’”
