South China's Hainan takes steps to boost offshore duty-free shopping

The southern Chinese island province of Hainan has recently rolled out a slew of measures to further boost offshore duty-free shopping.

“Data from some online travel apps shows that many tourists will spend their vacation in Hainan,” explained Yao Lei, an official from the Department of Commerce of Hainan Province. The resort island will soon launch a duty-free shopping festival that lasts till Feb. 5, 2023, the end of the Chinese New Year, during which a series of sales promotion activities will be held, Yao added.

Customers smell perfumes in a duty-free shop in Haikou, capital of South China's Hainan province, Jan 3, 2022. (Photo/Xinhua)

The shopping festival will be joined by all the six duty-free enterprises in Hainan, which will hold sports activities, performances, and interactive activities on the sidelines of the event to give consumers a better shopping experience. Online shopping platforms will also be taking part in the event by handing out e-vouchers.

In addition, Hainan has worked to ensure the supply of commodities. Haikou Meilan International Airport in Haikou, the provincial capital, has resumed cargo routes between Haikou and many destinations such as Paris, Milan, Zurich and Sydney, and will continue to resume and open more routes to Southeast Asia, Europe and the U.S. Haikou Customs has made 24-hour customs appointments available, in order to accelerate customs clearance for popular commodities such as cosmetics and food.

The province has also actively helped global enterprises and brands share the opportunities provided by China’s market. Haikou International Duty-Free City, the world's largest stand-alone duty-free store, opened on Oct. 28, attracting over 800 well-known brands from home and abroad, 25 of which made their debut in duty-free shops in the province.

Furthermore, the Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development sent a business delegation to Japan on Nov. 27. During its 15-day tour, the delegation met with Japanese clients to help them share in the opportunities provided by Hainan.

As China’s economy recovers, consumer confidence will grow stronger, which will enable offshore duty-free shopping in the province to achieve comprehensive recovery, according to Liu Feng, head of a center of free trade port studies in Hainan Normal University.