With its expanses of sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, the island of Hainan has been dubbed “China’s Hawaii” and is tipped to be the next big thing in international tourism.
A report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has forecast that Hainan is set to rival Singapore as a major destination in Asia, and predicts that the value of tourism on the island will grow by an annual rate of 13 per cent for the next 10 years.
“If Hainan were a country, this would propel Hainan to 13th in the WTTC ranking in 2021,” the report outlines.
Three years ago, Chinese leaders vowed to propel Hainan’s status to that of “a world-class resort” by 2020, and with the island’s tourism developing a rate that puts Dubai to shame, it appears China is on track to realise this objective.
“No other destination in the world has attracted such huge investment, including virtually all the leading hotel brands,” said David Scowsill, WTTC president and chief executive.
Future investment in the island includes the development of more than 60 upscale hotels and resorts, as well as more airport capacity and new infrastructure.
There are also plans to allow foreigners visa-free entry to the island, and offer duty-free shopping to visitors.
UK arrivals to Hainan are 33 per cent down on 2011 in the year to date, after rising by 31 per cent rise last year to reach more than 8,000, but officials are not worried.
Lu Zhiyuan, Hainan’s assistant governor, blamed Europe’s debt crisis for the fall in UK tourists and said Hainan is going to “take measures to reinvigorate the market.”
With more luxury resorts than you can shake a stick at, and a whopping 1,500km of beautiful coastline, it’s easy to see why Hainan is becoming so popular. Singapore et al better watch out!
(Images: lacitadelle, 2493ac, lacitadelle)
