Hainan free trade port aims high-quality development in 2022

HAIKOU -- South China's Hainan province will promote high-quality development in tourism consumption, industrial investment and business environment, according to the annual session of the provincial people's congress which concluded on Monday.

Aiming to be an international tourism and consumption destination, Hainan will boost high-end tourism consumption, cultivate new consumption growth areas featuring cruises, yachts, tourism and sports, and promote the international competitiveness of duty-free shopping, according to the provincial government work report.

Hainan eyes a total sales of 100 billion yuan ($15.8 billion) in duty-free shopping this year, according to the report delivered at the annual session of the provincial people's congress.

Wang Xuan, deputy general manager of the China Tourism Group Duty Free Corporation Ltd, said two duty-free shops in Sanya will be expanded and the duty-free shop in Haikou Meilan International Airport will be improved to bring in more international brands.

He also noted that this year the provincial capital Haikou will see the opening of a new international duty-free shopping mall, which will be the largest duty-free shopping complex in the world.

The second China International Consumer Products Expo will be held in Haikou in April.

"This year's expo will be larger and more international, focusing more on exquisite and new products," said Han Shengjian, director of the Hainan bureau of international economic development.

The province's duty-free shops raked in around 60.2 billion yuan in 2021, an increase of 84 percent year on year. Bo'ao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone received 127,300 tourists, up 90.6 percent year-on-year. Lingshui Li'an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone inked agreements with 22 renowned colleges and universities from home and abroad.

Hainan has made great progress in bringing back overseas consumption, and strengthened its role in connecting Chinese and international markets, said Wang Lei, an official with Hainan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China.

The provincial government work report this year pointed out Hainan will focus on the tourism industry, modern service industry, high-tech industry and tropical agricultural industry, and intensify innovation and development of industrial clusters.

"We must stimulate the impetus of the cities, counties and industrial parks, and guide more industries to settle in the parks and step up the upgrading of projects," said Gu Gang, director of Hainan provincial development and reform commission.

As one of the 11 key industrial parks of Hainan free trade port, Wenchang International Aerospace City has made substantial progress.

"We will invite investment in rocket, satellite and data chains, attract more key projects home and abroad to settle in the park, and build a world-renowned park with aerospace high-tech industries," said Liu Chong, mayor of Wenchang.