Reforms aid island's bid for int'l tourism

Hainan province will deepen reform and opening-up as it continues its bid to become an international tourist destination, said Governor Liu Cigui in his government work report to the annual session of the provincial People's Congress on Feb 9.

The province will build more quality scenic spots and resort hotels to cater to overseas tourists this year, said Lu Zhiyuan, assistant governor and director of the provincial tourism development commission.

Some 21 well-known international hotel management groups and 38 restaurant brands have operations on the resort island, Hainan Daily reported. Ten more five-star hotels are expected to be built this year, the report said. The provincial government will also increase subsidies for airlines to start new international routes, Lu said.

Additional flights linking Hainan with Russia and nonstop flights from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Laos will be operational this year, he said.

Hainan will also seize new opportunities for development as it hosts a series of events including the annual Boao Forum for Asia and the sixth session of the Roundtable Conference on China-Africa Cooperation. It will also enhance cooperation and exchanges with the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and encourage enterprises to tap the international market, according to the government work report.

Hainan's foreign trade totaled 97.5 billion yuan ($15.6 billion) in 2014, up 4.3 percent from the previous year, according to statistics released by Haikou Customs in January. The value of trade with the 32 countries along the Maritime Silk Road reached 45.39 billion yuan, up 28.3 percent year-on-year, the statistics showed.

The number of cruise line passengers increased by 60 percent in 2014 as the province initiated a cooperation fund for cruise liners in Asia, according to the report.

Hainan received about 47.9 million tourists last year, up 10.6 percent over 2013, and tourism revenue totaled 50.6 billion yuan, an increase of 13.2 percent over the previous year, said the work report.

A host of events were held in the province last year including the Boao Forum, the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit, the Asian Mayors Forum, the Volvo Ocean Race, the GoPro World Longboard Championship and the 2014 Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament.

The annual Boao Forum for Asia has developed into one of the most important international economic forums after it was launched in the coastal town of Boao in 2001.

Four sessions of the Roundtable Conference on China-Africa Cooperation have been held in the province's Wanning city since the conference was founded in Beijing in 2010. The annual event attracts participation from hundreds of diplomats from African countries in China and businesspeople from both sides.

This year, the province will also attract more domestic and overseas investment, expand the opening-up of the tourism industry to private capital and encourage private-sector investment in building international-level medical facilities, according to the government work report.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn