The opening of a duty free store in Sanya, Hainan province, on Wednesday has grabbed the attention of shoppers across China, many of whom will be relishing the prospect of being able to purchase luxury imported goods at competitive prices without embarking on long trips abroad.
Sunshine and the beach first come to mind about the island of Hainan - China's southernmost province, an allure that is increasingly known worldwide as it is set to become an international tourist destination.
A pilot tax-rebate program in China's southernmost Hainan Province proved to be a huge success as first-day visits to the tax-free store exceeded expectations.
Southernmost China's Hainan province generated $1.43 billion in trade with ASEAN members in 2010, an increase of 31 percent on the previous year, according to the provincial commerce bureau.
Coming from Italy, where the average people hate to speak other languages than Italian or their home dialect, we were very expectant, how we can manage a journey through China without speaking Chinese. At the end we know: It is not impossible – first of all thanks the wonderful Chinese people.
China will replace Japan as the world's second-largest luxury goods market this year, behind the United States, according to a global management consulting firm on Wednesday.
Political advisers in South China's Hainan province urged authorities to levy taxes on vacant homes in popular travel destinations to discourage speculation and cool the island's overheated property market.
Hainan opened a second duty-free store on Wednesday, following the success of the first, which since April has boosted domestic tourism to the province in South China.
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