China's southern island province of Hainan unveiled on April 25, 2008 a blueprint aiming to build itself into an international tourist destination by 2028.
Chen Cheng, Hainan's vice governor, said at a press conference here the province would take about 20 years to internationalize its tourism facilities, services, products and improve the environment.
The province will continue to implement its visa-free policies for tourists and open up aviation rights, introduce renowned overseas travel agencies and hotel management corporations, according to the action plans for the long-term goal of a first-class international tourist island.
With an area of 34,000 square kilometers, tropical and subtropical Hainan was established in 1988 as a province and approved as a special economic zone enjoying preferential development policies.
Last year, the island had 18.4 million tourist arrivals, including 750,000 from overseas, reaping 17.1 billion yuan (2.4 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue. The total tourist numbers and revenue were 24 times and 150 times, respectively, greater than those of 1987.
