Hainan, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan tourism sectors discuss cooperation

Tourism industry representatives from Hainan, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan gathered in Haikou on Sept 25 for a Mid-Autumn celebration and tourism exchanges, discussing opportunities to strengthen tourism cooperation and promote two-way travel.

Hosted by Hainan province's Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television, and Sports, the event brought together 79 representatives from the four regions for a seven-day, six-night tourism industry exchange and familiarization tour, visiting destinations across the province.

The tour covered multiple destinations and tourism sectors, providing participants with a closer look at Hainan's tourism development and opportunities arising from the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port.

Participants said the port's continued development is creating new opportunities for the tourism industry, with the four regions having complementary strengths in tourism, providing a solid basis for further cooperation.

Hainan also introduced its "Top 10 Tourism Icons," highlighting products and destinations including tropical island tourism, aerospace tourism, and the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway.

The evening program featured music, dance and other cultural performances, as well as opportunities for guests to experience Li ethnic cultural traditions, including bamboo dancing.

Wu Yingliang, chairman of the Taiwan Travel Industry Association, said Hainan and Taiwan share similar climates and both have attractive health and wellness tourism resources. He hoped tourism professionals on both sides could work together to develop distinctive tourism products and promote two-way tourism exchanges.

Hong Kong tourism representatives suggested making greater use of Hainan's aerospace and rainforest resources to develop study-tour products and strengthen tourism cooperation between Hainan and Hong Kong.

Hainan tourism companies said they would consider suggestions from industry representatives and develop more travel routes for visitors from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.

The event was part of Hainan's broader efforts this year to strengthen tourism and cultural exchanges. The province has participated in tourism promotion events in the three regions, including the 21st Strait Travel Fair and the 2026 Taiwan International Travel Fair, and jointly hosted the 12th Cross-Strait Intangible Cultural Heritage Month.

In October, Hainan will participate as the guest province of honor at the 12th Global Tourism Economic Forum in Macao.

Market data also reflects growth in tourism exchanges, with Hainan receiving 1.3 million inbound visits from January to August, up 44.4 percent year-on-year. Among them, 181,800 were visitors from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.

Building on the exchange, the four regions will explore greater resource sharing, market connectivity and two-way travel, turning cooperation into more tourism routes, exchange activities and visitor flows, and contributing to coordinated regional development through deeper tourism cooperation.