Hainan Province is witnessing a remarkable transformation into a global tourism and consumption hub, with recent data revealing substantial growth in international visitor numbers and duty-free spending. This surge follows the implementation of island-wide special customs operations just two months ago, demonstrating the immediate impact of China’s ambitious free trade port policies.
During the recent Spring Festival holiday period, border inspection agencies processed over 86,000 exit and entry trips—a striking 43.3% increase compared to the same period last year. The Haikou General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection reported significant inbound traffic from Russia, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Kazakhstan, and Singapore.
Travel platform Qunar provided further evidence of this international tourism boom, noting that arrivals to Sanya carrying non-Chinese passports increased more than fourfold. Particularly notable were the quadrupled arrivals from Australia and Spain, while international air arrivals in Haikou doubled during the holiday period.
This growth trajectory is largely attributed to Hainan’s expanded visa-free policies, which form a crucial component of China’s strategy to develop the island into a globally connected free trade port. The policy framework includes visa-free entry for citizens from 86 countries, supplemented by special arrangements such as 144-hour visa-free entry for foreign tour groups from Hong Kong and Macao, and 15-day visa-free entry for cruise tour groups.
Enhanced visitor services have been implemented to support this international influx. Hainan’s three major airports now operate 24-hour multilingual inquiry hotlines, while popular attractions like Sanya’s Wuzhizhou Island feature multilingual service posts staffed by Russian and English-speaking volunteers assisting with tour routes and ticketing.
Tourists are responding positively to these improvements. Piotrowski Robert, a Polish traveler visiting China for the first time, noted that “customs clearance was very convenient.” Yaroslava Pateychuk from Belarus highlighted both the hospitality and improved connectivity, citing new weekly direct flights between Minsk and Sanya that have significantly eased travel logistics.
Beyond traditional beach tourism, international visitors are increasingly seeking cultural and wellness experiences. Traditional Chinese medicine health tourism has gained particular popularity among Russian visitors, with acupuncture and cupping services widely available throughout Sanya’s Dadonghai scenic area—many clinics feature Russian-language signage to accommodate this growing demographic.
The cultural programming has also expanded significantly. The Hainan Ocean Paradise Resort in Lingshui Li autonomous county is currently hosting an international New Year carnival through March 3. According to resort chairman Liu Xiaoou, this event serves as a “window demonstration” conveying Hainan’s new image as “open, inclusive and connected to the world” in this inaugural year following the special customs operations.
This tourism surge has directly translated into robust duty-free sales, a critical component of Hainan’s free trade port development. From February 15-18, Haikou’s offshore duty-free stores recorded total sales of 428 million yuan ($62 million), with China Duty Free Group’s Haikou International Duty-Free City alone accounting for 233 million yuan—a 24.6% year-on-year increase.
In Sanya, daily offshore duty-free sales consistently exceeded 200 million yuan during the holiday period. The Sanya International Duty-Free Shopping Complex reported customer traffic surpassing 80,000 for three consecutive days starting from Chinese New Year’s first day. Shopping at duty-free stores has become an integral part of the holiday experience, with popular brand counters experiencing wait times exceeding 30 minutes during peak hours according to Duan Nanlan, sales department director at the complex.
