HAIKOU /China/, December 22. /TASS/. Since China’s southernmost province of Hainan embraced a special customs regime on December 18, it has recorded an increase in tourist arrivals, opening up new opportunities for the tourism industry, Gongren Ribao reported.

Experts and travel operators forecast that the measure that marks a new stage in the development of a free trade port will give a major impetus to the growth of the island’s attractiveness as a tourist destination and help transform the industry. Travel guide Wu Chunlung, who specializes in Southeast Asia, said that a facilitated customs procedure had a major impact on the travel industry. "Begore, it took a group of 100 tourists almost an hour to get through passport control, and now it takes less than 10 minutes," he said.

According to Professor Geng Songtao at the School of Tourism of Hainan University, the introduction of a "zero-tariff and low-tax" policy will give a boost to Hainan’s consumer and business attractiveness. The combination of political advantages and natural riches will cause a "cumulative effect" that will enable a transition from beach recreation to other scenarios of consumption with longer visiting times which would increase the island’s unique competitiveness as an international tourism and consumption hub.

The new customs regime creates a special customs control zone with liberalized policies, officials emphasize. Simplified visa regimes, including a visa-free entry for citizens from 59 countries, remain valid and are getting expanded. Chen Meilin, CEO of Hainan Huizhong tourist business, travel to Hainan will remain unchanged and will not require any additional documentation for tourists from mainland China. At that, an increase in the number of foreign visitors is expected, driven by the diverse opportunities for holding conferences, shopping, yachting and business tourism.

The sea travel industry is getting ready for change already. A yachting club at Haitang Bay in the city of Sanya noted that the zero-tariff policy will substantially reduce yacht chartering costs as the club is getting ready to expand its opportunities for business.

Provincial authorities have stated that significant changes have taken place in the tourism market since the construction of the free trade port. These include an inflow of foreign tourists – of over 1.1 million people in January-October 2025, an optimization of the market structure, and an improvement in the quality of consumption. CIS and Southeast Asia countries remain the main sources of foreign tourists.

The Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports at Hainan Province said that the island is planning to use the introduction of a special customs regime to transition from extensive growth to quality development of tourism. The province has set itself the task of transforming Hainan into a global tourist destination by 2035. Plans toward this goal include developing international projects, deepening cooperation with global platforms and travel operators, and promoting combo routes for travelers.