Hainan’s Sanya will create international consumption center

HAIKOU /China/, May 2. /TASS/. Sanya city on the southern coast of Hainan Island plans to step up efforts to strengthen an innovative economic development model that will create an international-class resort and consumer zone in the shortest possible time, Director of the Sanya Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports Bureau Chen Zhenmin, said.

"We will create a popular tourist resort of international level. There will also be a science and innovation cluster of the [Hainan] free trade port," the head of the department was quoted as saying by the Sanya Daily newspaper. "At the same time, we will <...> set the direction for the accelerated formation of a key area of the international consumption center in Sanya."

Wu Xiaolin, deputy director of the Sanya Tourism Promotion Bureau, Wu Xiaolin, deputy head of the Sanya Tourism Promotion Office, said that the local government will continue to apply experimental measures to boost the development of cruise and yacht tourism, attract consumers from abroad, promote a new offshore development model and mechanisms to waive and refund duties, and strengthen the role of cross-border e-commerce. She said tourism and investments will be a key factor in promoting the Sanya resort area globally.

According to Xie Zhiyong, General Manager of Hainan Tourism Investment Duty Free, the recent 8th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party decided on a new road map for Hainan Province that will ensure the sustainable long-term development of Sanya. "Excellent opportunities have also been created for the duty-free trade sector," he stressed. "We will take all possible measures to provide a first-class shopping experience."

The head of the company recalled that the government's policy towards the development of a free port in recent years has allowed for a significant expansion of duty-free shopping in Hainan. For example, the new Sanya duty-free complex has attracted more than 750 international brands in just over a year since it began operations, with 191 of them representing the local market for the first time. Thanks to the wide range of products, more than 3 million shoppers have visited this important tourist destination in that period.