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Hainan's Haikou to double the number of duty free stores in 2020

Currently, there are four duty free shops in the Hainan province

HAIKOU, November 18. /TASS/. Haikou will double the number of large duty free stores this year to boost consumption. The local authorities said Wednesday that the city will have four large duty free shops in the coming months.

"Haikou plans to gradually build up its potential in the consumer sector, attracting new commercial organizations specializing in this kind of activities," according to a statement posted on the regional government's WeChat.

According to a draft on boosting consumption, which was recently posted on another official resource — the Haikou administration's website — in addition to opening two new stores, the city plans to significantly expand existing duty free facilities in 2020. The first of them is located at Meilan International Airport, where the area of the modernized luxury section will soon increase to 9,000 square meters. The second — in the Sun Moon Plaza shopping center, located in one of the busiest parts of the city, where the prestigious brands sector will receive an additional 50,000 meters.

Moreover, according to the document, the Haikou authorities in the foreseeable future will customize several more streets as a cozy consumer zone for tourists, where they can relax, enjoy themselves, and also shop.

Currently, there are four duty free shops in the Hainan province: two of them are located in the provincial capital Haikou, and the rest — in Sanya and the coastal town of Boao. A pilot program for the development of a chain of duty free shops on Hainan province was launched by the Chinese government in 2011.

Duty free stores are part of the government's plan to promote international tourism on Hainan. By the end of 2020, it is planned to open three more new duty free shops. The authorities explained the need to increase the number of duty free shops in the province by the growing number of tourists and the high demand for duty free goods. All three new stores will be located in Sanya. One of them will open at the airport, the other two — in the suburbs.

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