HAIKOU, January 21. /TASS/. Haikou's revenue from tourism sector in 2019 increased by 7.55% to 32.06 billion yuan (about $ 4.63 billion). According to the Hainan Daily, over this period, 28.2 million tourists visited the city, which is by 5.6% more than in 2018.
In 2020, the Haikou authorities intend to receive about 30.46 million tourists (an increase of about 8%), the tourism revenue target for this year stands at 34.6 billion yuan (about $ 4.99 billion, an increase of 8%).
The local government has already planned a number of major international events, including the national beach volleyball championship, a series of music concerts and other events this year. The authorities are also getting ready to launch eight direct flights between Haikou and foreign cities, as well as actively promote Hainan in Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and Southeast Asia.
The Haikou authorities intend to renovate one of the main tourist attractions of the regional capital - the old Qilou Street, which, thanks to a number of buildings designed in the European colonial style, has long been the city's distinctive landmark. Moreover, the authorities intend to develop beach vacation tours, sailing and sea fishing.
In 2019, a total of over 83 million Chinese and foreign tourists visited the Hainan Province in 2019. The corresponding figures exceeded the tourist flow to the province by 9% in 2018. The total number of foreign tourists who visited the island in 2019 increased by 12.4% to 1.42 million people.
In April 2018, President Xi Jinping said that the Chinese authorities intend to actively involve Hainan in globalization and to draw foreign investors to the island province. By 2050, according to the authorities, the island should become a unique international cluster with an advanced economy, developed tourism, top-notch scientific, technical and financial potential, and modern medicine. The branches of the best universities and offices of the most powerful corporations in the world will be located on the Island of Hainan.
By 2025, the Chinese government intends to create an "international center for tourism and consumption" on Hainan. In order to do so, the "Eastern Hawaii" with their unique natural landscapes, thick rainforests and great climate will establish a developed network of hotels, which blend perfectly with white sandy beaches stretching along the coastline. The combination of an exotic subtropical nature and a modern eco-friendly infrastructure will boost tourist inflow to the island from the most distant parts of the world.