In the quiet side roads shadowing West London's bustling high streets, it is now common to see minibuses dropping off Chinese Gen Z tourists. These Asian travelers are bypassing traditional landmarks like Big Ben and Buckingham Palace for wisteria-draped facades of million-pound mansions in Kensington and Notting Hill. The catalyst behind this shift is RedNote, known in China as Xiaohongshu, or 'Little Red Book'. This social media platform has become a tour guide bible for Chinese visitors seeking Instagram-worthy shots.
Wisteria Tourism Boom
Armed with the app, tourists arrive in minibuses with portable changing rooms for multiple outfit changes. York, the North York Moors, and Cotswold villages like Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water have seen a swell in Asian tourists after featuring on RedNote. Bicester Village in Oxfordshire remains popular. RedNote now has over 350 million monthly users, predominantly middle to upper-class women in their 20s and 30s, according to Chinese firm Nanjing Marketing Group.
Local Reactions in West London
In Stafford Terrace, Kensington, a homeowner erected a sign asking influencers not to pick flowers or lean against them after repeated damage. He said: 'We just put the sign up so that people respect the flowers. The problem is when professionals come with stylists, furniture, and make sets out of it.' Another resident of 25 years noted the influx began after his home was featured on RedNote post-pandemic: 'Before Covid, no one would come.'
Impact on Cotswolds and York
Bourton-on-the-Water, dubbed the 'Venice of the Cotswolds', sees hundreds of thousands of tourists annually. A survey by Bourton Residents' Voice found 95% of residents believe there are too many visitors, and 91% report a negative impact on their quality of life. In York, tourism agency worker Will Zhuang noted that Chinese tourists now linger in small groups, saying, 'They come to Yorkshire and they say, 'This is England'.' Whitby attracts visitors due to its mention in Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Bicester Village Popularity
Bicester Village, an outdoor designer outlet, pulls in 7.3 million shoppers yearly, with many Chinese tourists drawn by luxury bargains and Mandarin-speaking staff. It is now the most visited UK destination after Buckingham Palace for Chinese tourists, boosted by posts on Weibo.
Overtourism Concerns
In Bibury, locals have placed signs in Chinese and Japanese asking tourists to respect private gardens. One sign reads 'private gardens are off limits' in Japanese outside the Swan Hotel. The influx has led to frustrations over trampled gardens and blocked drives, with some residents using cones to deter visitors.
