BEIJING, October 6. /TASS/. The Hainan authorities intend to open 13 direct international flights connecting the administrative center of the province, the city of Haikou, with 13 cities of the world, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, Xinhua reported with reference to the island's administration.
According to the authorities, "13 new destinations will be launched between Haikou and the cities of the world, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Alma-Ata, Astana, Berlin, Kiev, Riga, Melbourne and others <...> to promote the development of the island as a major international resort and a free trade port." The opening date of the new flights' launch has not yet been announced.
It has been pointed out that in early 2019 provincial authorities launched five new international routes from Haikou, including to Sydney and Manila, their number thus reaching 23.
As part of the initiative to increase the island’s openness, the Hainan administration previously announced a change in conditions for obtaining a visa for foreign citizens. Starting May 1, 2019, visitors from 59 countries, including Russia, the UK, France, Germany, the USA and others can travel to Hainan visa-free.
According to official data, more than 1,1 million foreign tourists visited the island in 2017, which makes up for an increase of 50% year on year. In the first half of 2018, this figure reached 946,000, showing an annual increase of 16.3%.