HAIKOU /China/, February 6. /TASS/. The southern Chinese province of Hainan received about 22 thousand foreign tourists during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, Hainan Daily reported.
The total international tourist flow in the province across the border in both directions amounted to 50 thousand people, which is 10% higher than the figure recorded during last year's New Year period. From January 28 to February 4, Haikou Meilan International Airport served about 33,000 passengers. As for Sanya Phoenix Airport, its tourist flow reached 17 thousand people. The administrations of these airports took a series of measures in advance to speed up the process of passengers passing through the control and inspection procedures.
Hainan authorities have been constantly expanding the network of international routes of the province's major airports and increasing tourist traffic, supported by the visa-free policy. To date, 70 international and regional routes have been opened, covering countries in Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. The throughput of international flights at Hainan's three major airports - Meilan, Phoenix and Boao - has exceeded 240,000 passengers since the beginning of the year, and the total number of flights on international routes has reached more than 1.7 thousand.
The Lunar New Year, or Chunjie (Spring Festival) as it is called in China, fell on the night of January 28-29. The weekend lasted until February 4 this year. The week-long holiday known as the Golden Week, is a traditional time for Chinese people to travel at home and abroad. Hainan Island has always been a popular destination.
By 2025, the authorities aim to turn Hainan into an "international tourism and consumption center". The Chinese island is often referred to as "Eastern Hawaii": natural landscapes, tropical forests, a developed hotel network, as well as lush beaches and 1.9 thousand kilometers of coastline attract visitors from the farthest corners of the world.