HAIKOU /China/, February 15. /TASS/. Duty free sales in the southern Chinese province of Hainan reached 4.132 billion yuan (about $649.7 million at current exchange rate), up 127% year-on-year, during the New Year holidays from February 1 to 13, the Hainan International Communication Network (HICN) reported.

"The overall sales of Hainan's ten duty-free stores totaled 4.132 billion yuan from February 1 to 13, an increase of 127% year-on-year," the portal reported.

As previously reported by the Hainan Daily newspaper, the island’s duty-free stores sales reached 1.983 billion yuan (about $312.3 million), up 144% in annual terms, in the first week of the New Year holidays. Some 1.65 million goods were sold from January 30 to February 5, an increase of 143% in annual terms. Stores served a total of 277,800 customers, an increase of 128% over last year.

The pilot program of duty-free stores in Hainan province of China was launched by the Government of China in 2011. Three new duty-free stores opened on Hainan in 2021, their total number increased to 10. Last year, Hainan duty free stores earned 60.2 billion yuan (about $ 9.4 billion), an increase of 84% compared to 2020.

The Lunar New Year, or in Chinese Chunjie (Spring Festival), fell on the night of February 1. It is one of the major holidays in China. During the New Year holidays, the Chinese tend to go to their small homeland to celebrate the New Year with family and friends, and some prefer to travel around the country. This year, the Lunar New Year holidays lasted from January 31 to February 6, but many Chinese take extra days off to spend with family or traveling.