Economic impact of elderly amenity mobility in southern China

Abstract

No studies have been conducted to examine the economic consequences of elderly seasonal residents in Chinese society, despite the growing movement of amenity-seeking elderly people from Hong Kong to mainland China in the past decade. This study evaluates the economic impact of elderly amenity seekers on the local economies of a community in the Pearl River Delta and the original community of Hong Kong. Community surveys and participant observation were used to collect data, and equations were formulated to calculate the economic impact. The findings show that the expenditure of the respondents generated a substantial economic impact on the local economy of the host community but had a nonnegligible adverse economic impact on Hong Kong. The expenditure patterns and levels of the respondents varied greatly from those of retiree in-migrants in Western societies. Strategies for inducing elderly amenity seekers to communities and for conducting further studies are suggested. © 2006 The Southern Gerontological Society.