Mainland tourists joining new tours of Hong Kong shopping malls won't be obliged to go on a spending spree, a retail industry representative said on Thursday.

The Travel Industry Council and Retail Management Association have devised 14 different itineraries for "in-depth tours" of five shopping centres in the city, with participants promised the chance to hear some "urban legends" during their two-hour visits.

Association chairwoman Annie Yau Tse said that while participants will be received by a mall representative and will be offered discounts on their spending, they will be free to roam around and can decide for themselves where to make any purchases.

With concerns that tourists are spending less in Hong Kong, Tse said it will be down to the shops in the malls to try to get visitors to splash the cash.

"The most important thing is that there are customers around. Once they come into the malls, we can think of ways to attract them to consume," she said on an RTHK programme.

"But if there are no customers at all, then really nothing can be done. So when there are more people around, that's already an advantage for us."