Island resort rolls out foreign welcome mat

A surfer walks on a beach in Wanning, Hainan province, in December. WANG FUCHUN/CHINA DAILY

Hainan will increase subsidies, intensify global promotion and provide more tourism products to attract overseas travelers, Hainan's top tourism official said on Friday.

Tourism to the southern island province has slipped two years in a row, the provincial tourism department said, with the number of foreign tourists falling 12.6 percent last year and tourists from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan dropping 6.3 percent.

Tourists from Russia - who account for the largest foreign group - declined 21.1 percent year-on-year between January and November.

Lu Zhiyuan, head of the provincial tourism department, said the devaluation of the Russian currency may be the main reason for the decrease. He said two of Russia's major tourism agencies went bankrupt last year, and many Russians canceled trips due to rising prices.

In addition, international flights to Hainan have been decreasing over the past two years.

"We are trying to bring in more international flights, but our policies are not as attractive as the incentives given by Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia," said Lu. "Many countries in Southeast Asia provide trips with lower prices, which make them more competitive than Hainan."

Ma Kang, a 35-year-old Sanya resident, said fewer and fewer foreign tourists have been coming to Dadonghai beach, one of the most famous tourist spots in Sanya.

"The beach used to be crowded with Russian tourists, but now there are just travelers from the mainland," Ma said.

Tourism has been a pillar industry for the island province, known for its tropical weather and white beaches, since the 1990s. The coastal city of Sanya, often considered China's Hawaii, is famous for its great ocean view and seafood.

Hainan used to send delegations overseas to promote the province and attract international visitors. "Now the promotion is not enough," said Lu Dan, a member of the provincial people's congress.

Lu said the province is also developing more tourism products to attract overseas travelers.

"I hope there will be more tourists in 2015," he said.