HAIKOU /China/, January 7. /TASS/. More than 1.32 million tourists visited the southern Chinese province of Hainan for the New Year weekend which lasted three days, People’s Daily Online reported.

The province earned 1.77 billion yuan ($277.8 million) from January 1 to January 3. The provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports reported that all necessary sanitary control measures were taken during the holidays. Tourist sites operated by appointment, the number of visitors was limited with everyone's temperature measured at entrances, a digital "health code" (tracking system, not related to vaccinations - note TASS) was monitored. It was mandatory to wear a mask and keep a social distance. Some events, in particular music concerts, also required a covid test.

According to official data, the average occupancy rate during New Year celebrations was 73.1%, which is 6.2% higher than last year. The total tourist flow was higher than during the same period in 2021.

Over the three-day weekend, Haikou City's duty-free stores also saw an increase in sales of goods, up 9.7% year-on-year to 600 million yuan ($94.1 million). Shoppers bought 739,000 items at the city's duty-free shops during the New Year holidays an increase of 9.74%.