Island boosts international air and sea transport links

A regular direct flight between Haikou, capital of Hainan province, and Pattaya in Thailand was launched by Hainan United Airlines Travel Group and Thai Lion Air on April 9, the latest and the eighth new international air route opened in Hainan this year.

Thailand is an important country involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and a traditional tourist market for Hainan, with more than 18,495 Thai tourists visiting Hainan last year, an increase of 20.3 percent over 2017, said an official with the Hainan tourism authority.

"Opening the air route will bring new vitality to both markets," said Sun Xiangtao, deputy secretary general of the association of travel agencies in Haikou. "With Pattaya now an attractive destination for European and American tourists, the new air route is expected to help bring more Western tourists to improve Hainan's market structure and make its tourism industry more international."

It's part of Hainan's effort to enhance its international competitiveness and influence via expanding air and sea connectivity with countries and regions involved in the BRI, according to a report from the provincial government.

Hainan will make special efforts to build a "four-hour flight" economic circle that will cover 21 countries and regions in Asia, which accounts for about 47 percent of the world's population, the report said. An "eight-hour flight" economic circle covering 59 countries and regions in Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa, which is home to about 67 percent of the world's population, will also be created, according to officials at a recent meeting to mark the first anniversary of the establishment of the Hainan free trade zone.

The Hainan provincial transport department said in its work plan for 2019 that the island province will continue to promote the opening-up of its transportation sector, develop high-quality cruise routes around Hainan Island, longer cruise tours and more international tourist attractions.

It said construction of the new airport in Sanya will be accelerated and the second-phase expansion of Meilan International Airport in Haikou will be completed, while the preparations for new airports in Danzhou and Dongfang on the western side of the island are under way.

Hainan is preparing to launch more than 14 overseas air routes this year. It will have more than 70 international direct flights.

In about three years, Hainan's international air routes are expected to increase to 100, with a target of attracting 2 million inbound tourists annually, according to the provincial government.

Hainan will explore new ways of establishing trading centers for international shipping businesses and develop high-end services such as shipping insurance, shipping arbitration and the issuance of freight index, according to the plan from the provincial transportation department.

It said the planning for the Dongfang Airport International Express Center project and construction of the shipping hub at Yangpu Port for the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor will be accelerated to enhance the export-oriented economy in Hainan.

In addition, Hainan will further collaborate with China COSCO Shipping to expand its shipping routes from Hainan to Southeast Asian and South Asian countries, opening routes from Singapore for container ships, and gradually build a service network covering Northeast Asia, North America and Central and South America.

In mid-March, a new policy made it possible for overseas yachts to enter the waters of Hainan and its adjacent scenic spots with temporary approvals. Previously, the entry of foreign yachts to Hainan was handled by State-level transportation authorities.

Wu Pingsheng, deputy director at the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration, said the new measures also provide easier access for yachts from Hong Kong and Macao to Hainan, with entry and exit approval procedures simplified and requirements for single-voyage certification documents canceled.

The tropical province also started offering 30-day visa-free access to tourists from 59 countries including the United Kingdom, France and Russia in May last year. It has adopted a slew of policies and measures including those that have boosted duty-free business and granted greater economic freedom to foreign companies to help develop the whole island as a free trade zone, and gradually build it into a free trade port with Chinese characteristics.

Hainan received 76.27 million visitors in 2018. Among them, 1.26 million were inbound tourists, a year-on-year increase of 12.9 percent. The island province also greeted 141 inbound cruise liners, up 15 percent over the previous year, according to data from the Hainan provincial tourism, culture, broadcasting and sports departments.