(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-25 22:13

HAIKOU - China's southern island province of Hainan unveiled on Friday a blueprint aiming to build itself into an international tourist destination by 2028.

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.

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

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.

Last year, the island had 18.4 million tourist arrivals, including 750,000 from overseas, reaping 17.1 billion yuan (US$ 2.4 billion) in revenue. The total tourist numbers and revenue were 24 times and 150 times, respectively, greater than those of 1987.