HAIKOU /China/, November 28. /TASS/. Hainan is preparing for a boom in the international tourism industry consumer sector after the end of the coronavirus pandemic, Liu Cheng, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province, said.

"The cultural and tourism development work in Hainan is still aimed at creating an international-level consumer center. We will encourage vigorous growth of the local tourism industry, <...> to create a paradise for shopping, for health recovery, for relaxation," the official was quoted by the Hainan Daily newspaper as saying. "Our province's tourism sector is recovering quickly and is resilient. Even with the impact of the pandemic over the past two years, it still has a bright future."

Liu Cheng pointed out that despite the difficult international situation, Hainan was lately able to maintain its positive trend in tourism development. According to the deputy head of the department, this sector in the province has a special potential to maintain "the highest rate of recovery after COVID-19 among all regions in China."

As commented by local authorities, Hainan is actively attracting both national and foreign resources for the stable development of international consumer tourism. These projects are carried out both in person and online. Special attention is paid to seasonal factors and the creation of diversified and integrated tourism programs.

According to official statistics, more than 81 million tourists visited Hainan in 2021, which is 97.5% of the pre-pandemic level and 32.5 percentage points higher than the corresponding average for PRC regions. The province's tourism revenue for the period was 138.43 billion yuan ($19.32 billion at current exchange rates), 30 percent more than in 2019.