After all – according to Paul Jeffels, manager at Round the World Experts – the region could be a great stopover on your way to those cheap hotels in Beijing.

Speaking as Hong Kong International Airport released figures indicating it had experienced a 17.5 per cent increase in its volume of passengers in July this year, Mr Jeffels claimed that many people are now taking a quick break in the destination as a way of easing their passage into mainland China.

“It’s good value … in terms of inexpensive food and shopping, and of course there is a huge influence of speaking English,” he added, noting it is a “good access point” for visitors hoping to end up in Shanghai or another Chinese metropolis.