HAIKOU /China/, January 16. /TASS/. The southern Chinese province of Hainan welcomed over 90 million Chinese and foreign tourists in 2023, which is 49.9% higher than in 2022, Xinhua News Agency reported with reference to the Hainan Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Film, Television, Publications and Sports.

Hainan's overall tourism revenue for 2023 amounted to about 181.3 billion yuan (about $25.5 billion). The corresponding figure increased by 71.9% year-on-year.

Sea cruises were particularly popular with tourists in 2023, the department said. The total number of tours to the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea increased by 277.8% last year. There were 400 cruise ship tours during the period, which carried about 149,400 tourists, an increase of 405.33%.

In 2024, Hainan expects to welcome up to 99 million tourists and increase revenues to 207 billion yuan ($29.1 billion), according to officials.

By 2025, the authorities intend to turn Hainan into an "international center of tourism and consumption". The Chinese island is often called the "Eastern Hawaii" — natural landscapes, rainforests, a developed hotel chain combined with beaches and a coastline of more than 1,900 kilometers attract guests from the most remote parts of the world.