Archive for the 'Hainan' Category

China’s southernmost Hainan Province, the largest special economic zone (SEZ) in the country, celebrated its 20th anniversary in its capital city of Haikou.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (seen in our illustration) at the celebration ceremony said, ‘Setting up SEZs was an important measure of China’s reform and opening-up. The SEZs have played a pioneering role in prompting the reform.’

He asked the island province to build itself into a shipping hub, logistic center and export processing base for southeast Asia.

Founded 20 years ago, Hainan SEZ was a pioneer in experimenting with the market economy, developing the land with foreign investment, implementing a provincial insurance system, abolishing the agricultural tax and school fees for nine-year compulsory education.

The province also unveiled a blueprint aiming at building itself into a major international tourist destination by 2028.
Source: China View

It helps a lot that it is a tropical paradise. China’s southern island province of Hainan has a blueprint to build itself into an international tourist destination by 2028. With an area of 34,000 square kilometers, tropical and subtropical Hainan was established in 1988 as a province and approved as a special economic zone enjoying preferential development policies.

Chen Cheng, Hainan’s vice governor, said at a press conference here the province would take about 20 years to internationalize its tourism facilities, services, products and improve the environment.

Well, yes, there is a lot in that but Hainan is already, in its own right, a wonderful tourist destination. Twenty years may be the time needed to reach its maximum. But the time it will take to become a major destination in its own right could probably be measured in months, not decades.

According to the action plans for the long-term goal of a first-class international tourist island the province will continue to implement its visa-free policies for tourists and open up aviation rights, introduce overseas travel agencies and hotel management corporations.

Last year, the island had 18.4 million tourist arrivals, including 750,000 from overseas, bringing in RMB17.1 billion (US$2.4 billion) in revenue. The total tourist numbers and revenue were 24 times and 150 times, respectively, greater than those of 1987. Let us not work on twenty year plans. Let us think, instead, of next year.
Source: China View