Boost to tropical island's tourism

Hainan authorities have vigorously reinforced the province's tourism trade over the past five years, according to a report delivered by Governor Jiang Dingzhi at an annual session of the provincial people's congress on Jan 27.

Tourism is crucial to the province's economic growth, Jiang said. "The provincial government established two new (highest level) 5A scenic spots, approved 33 five-star hotels in five years and developed five yacht harbors built in line with international standards," Jiang noted.

"A series of large tourism projects are now under construction and will be completed on schedule," he continued. "Ecological tourism products as well as special routes featuring forests, culture and shopping will also be developed this year to make the province deserve the title of an international tourist island."

In 2012, the province received more than 33.2 million people who stayed for at least one night as tourist revenue totaled nearly 38 billion yuan ($6.1 billion), double the number in 2007.

While the province has burgeoning service industries, farming continues to be a mainstay of economic growth.

The added value of agriculture has grown at an average annual rate of 6.7 percent over the past five years, ranking first across the nation, Jiang said.

We recommend:
Wind power now No.3 energy resource	3rd Qatar Int'l Auto Show kicks off	China caps first 3G nuclear plant
New Zealand moves to restore trust	Mobile apps chip away at SMS	Airbus has big hopes for big plane