IN BRIEF (Page 16)

Hainan gaining ground as hot destination for conferences

China's southernmost island province of Hainan has seen the rapid development of its conference and exhibition industry in recent years. In 2017, Hainan held nearly 18,000 conferences, attracting a total of 19.5 million overnight attendees, and industry revenue reached 14.5 billion yuan ($2.2 billion), according to figures released at the 9th China International Conference Industry Week which concluded last week. The average annual revenue growth of the industry hit 12 percent over the past three years, it showed. Hainan is working to build itself into an international conference and exhibition center. In 2015, the conference and exhibition industry became one of the 12 pillar industries in Hainan.

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