With middle-class tourism growing in Hainan, more cars are inevitable, according to Chi Fulin, head of the China Institute for Reform and Development, a Hainan think tank.

As environmental protection is vital for Hainan's development as an international resort, control can be imposed on the entry of bigger vehicles to reduce air pollution, Chi suggested.

Hainan was designated as a province in 1988 and became China's largest special economic zone in the same year. The island enjoys preferential development policies and boasts year-round tropical weather, clean beaches, forests and diverse ethnic cultures.

The government announced a plan in January 2010 to build the tropical island into a top international tourist destination by 2020. To attract visitors,the province has duty-free policies, tax rebate programs and visa exemptions for tourists from 26 countries.

As tourism booms, infrastructure such as ports and roads, has lagged behind, said Lu Zhiyuan, director of Hainan Tourism Development Commission.

"I think the key to solving traffic jams lies not in the control of tourists, but in more investment in roads and other facilities," said Lu.

Services should be improved and guidance offered for tourists who drive, he added.

The island should develop its car rental market and civil aviation industry for tourists, said netizen "Dadonghainan," who supported the planned controls on tourists' cars.

Parking areas should be expanded and tourists encouraged to take public transport, said Shi Yaozhong, president of Hainan Highway Survey and Design Institute.

A new pier for ferries in Chengmai County is under construction and is expected to be put into temporary use at the end of this year. This will accelerate the passage of vehicles across the Qiongzhou Strait, which connects Hainan and Guangdong Province, according to Dong Xianzeng, head of the provincial transport department.

Sanya is planning rail projects linking scenic spots to downtown as well as construction of two new bridges this year.

"We have no choice but to improve ourselves," said Luo Baoming, Communist Party chief for Hainan.

"We need to adapt to tourists and serve them rather than refusing them," he said.