The Chinese government has decided to abolish the visa open to visitors from 59 countries including the French from 1 May next. The visa will be given at the airport for a duration of 30 days. The objective is to increase the number of tourists.
But where is Hainan ?
Hainan is an island province of China, the southernmost of the country. The area of the island is 32 900 km2 or almost the area of Belgium. Hainan Island is 155 km long and 169 km wide. The island is on the same latitude as the island of Hawaii. Moreover, Hainan has long been promoted as » Hawaii of China « .
[1]The tropical island sees Vietnam to the west and the Philippines to the east. It is known for its tropical climate, its seaside resorts, and its wooded and mountainous inland lands.
To the south, Sanya has many beaches, including the 22 km long Sanya Bay beach and the Yalong Bay crescent-shaped beach.
Outside Sanya, the hilly hiking trails of the Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourist Zone pass over suspension bridges and near waterfalls. Wuzhi Mountain is the highest mountain on the island at 1,840 m.
Hainan welcomes few foreigners at the moment
[2]The number of international tourist arrivals only exceeded one million last year. This represents barely 1.6% of the 60 million domestic visitors who arrived in 2017.
Bali, one sixth the size of Hainan, welcomed over 5 million foreign visitors last year. There is a long way to go before we become an international destination.
Beijing wants to further open up the country’s tourism and financial sectors to attract more foreign investors.
more hotels, clubs, casinos ?
Club Med (part of the Fosun group) inaugurated its luxurious Club Med Sanya in 2016. Hainan Island is expected to open 28 new hotels in the coming months, adding to an already very large collection of high-end establishments on Yalong Bay. The largest chains are present among the thousands of hotels including Mandarin Oriental, Rafles, Shangri la, Sheraton, Hilton … But many investors are hoping for permission for gambling. It is not won !
[3]Beijing must decide on the arrival of casinos
China has confirmed its support for horse racing for the time being.
Any change in China’s gambling industry could end up threatening the casino industry in Macao, the world’s largest gambling centre.
The figure of 33 billion dollars spent in Macau casinos is mentioned. In the case of the opening of casinos on Hainan, there would be an impact on the economy of Macao but also Singapore (which attracts many Chinese from the continent). I’m sure it’s worth thinking about.
China wants to increase the number of foreign tourists throughout the country. Permits for stays of 3 to 4 days are already granted in several localities such as Beijing or Shanghai.
The entry of foreign currency could offset part of the expenses of Chinese tourists going abroad !