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by Lim Hui Sin
Hainan, the southernmost island of China, was once a sleepy backwater in the South China Sea. But it has undergone drastic changes in the past decade and will see more development ahead.
The island has vast tourism resources, and, for years, its soft sandy beaches, blue waters, tropical rainforests, and year-round sunshine have drawn comparisons with another famous tropical paradise, earning it the label of the “Hawaii of China.” In addition to the stunning coastline, the island is inhabited by more than 30 ethnic minority groups of China, each with its distinct culture.
Despite the island’s popularity with major hotel developers in recent years, it is still a relatively unknown tourist destination internationally. Hilton, the Mandarin Oriental, Sheraton, and other international hotel brands have all made their presences known with luxurious beach resorts, but while some 19 million tourists from all over China stopped by, Hainan drew fewer than 1 million international tourists last year.
However, if things go according to the authorities’ plans, this will change. The Chinese government plans to turn Hainan into an international tourism destination by 2020; to this end the government introduced a slew of measures with regards to administration, services, promotion, tourism products, and infrastructure. The government said it plans to invest some 3.5 trillion yuan (US$523 billion) over the next 11 years to realize its goals and expressed support for the establishment of theme parks to enhance the island’s attractiveness as a tourist destination.
Better Transportation
To improve access to the island, the government has so far extended its visa waiver program to 26 countries, including the United States, Canada, Finland, Norway, and Denmark. A third airport is also being planned, complementing existing ones in the north and south of the island. Approval has been granted for plans to build a bridge across Qiongzhou Strait, linking Hainan Island to the mainland at Guangdong province, improving the island’s position as a day-trip destination. The Hainan Tourism Bureau says the development of the tourism industry in Hainan, which has a population of around 8 million people, will be largely dependent on domestic tourists in the next five to 10 years.
More highways and roads are being planned, with the goal to reduce travel times between the main cities to a maximum of two hours. In addition, a high-speed rail line connecting Haikou in the north and Sanya in the south is slated for completion this year. Spanning 300 kilometers (186 miles), the rail system will cut travel time between the two cities down to just 80 minutes.
Shopping Opportunities
 Another measure to boost Hainan’s attractiveness to tourists is the establishment of downtown duty-free shops in the key cities of Haikou, Sanya, Qionghai, and Wanning. The first of these opened in September 2009 in Sanya, the southernmost city, which was also the first to be developed as a beach resort area. Within the area, Yalong Bay, about 25 kilometers (almost 16 miles) from downtown Sanya, has gained a measure of fame for its coral reefs, white sand beaches, and azure waters, set off by rolling hills and lush greenery. Facilities here include hotels, conference centers, and golf courses.
Mission Hills, which operates the world’s largest golf club with 12 courses in southern China, also opened a golf resort with 10 courses near Sanya, atop a volcano. According to the developers, this is the second-largest golf club in the world, and when completed in 2013 the resort will include a clubhouse, a spa, and a 525-room hotel.
Theme Parks, Leisure Projects
While the stretch of beach along Yalong Bay is nearly saturated, the island of Hainan boasts a coastline that meanders along its border for some 1,500 kilometers (932 miles), and plans are being put in place to develop its eastern coast.
In addition to holiday resorts, planners are looking to add theme parks to the mix. Developer R&F Properties, based in the city of Guangzhou in south China, announced plans to build hotels in the coastal area of Lingshui county in Hainan, which is about an hour from Sanya. It also told local media it was planning a theme park to rival Disneyland, which will start operations in Shanghai in 2014.
R&F Properties said the company had full confidence in Hainan’s future, citing the ideal combination of sunshine, beaches, sea, and fresh air as reasons its developments will draw people from all around China.
With projects such as the theme park (construction is expected to start this year), the company hopes to extend the average visitor’s length of stay on the island and minimize the seasonal peaks and troughs in visitor numbers.
Other parks discussed on the island include a volcano simulation park in Haikou city, a marine park in Haitang Bay, and a movie studio-based theme park in Haikou, all part of plans for a larger leisure zone that will include accommodations, star-rated hotels, and facilities for conventions, events, and sports, as well as yachting docks and a cruise terminal.
The movie theme park, which has already been approved, will occupy about 500 hectares (1.9 square miles) and feature 10 different zones with themes based on digital animation, volcanoes, and the ocean. The park will be jointly developed by the Haikou government and Changchun Film Group. Approvals for the other parks are also expected to come through within the year.
A Park for Space Fans
A satellite launch center is currently being built in Wenchang County in Hainan, located 60 km (37.3 miles) northwest from the provincial capital Haikou. The premises will include a launch site and a mission control center, and more tourism infrastructure is also planned around the facility. Amid this development is an aerospace theme park developed by China Aerospace International Holdings (CASIL). CASIL is part of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the organization that developed the Shenzhou VII spacecraft, used in China’s first manned space mission.
The tourism development covers an area of 407 hectares (1.6 square miles) and in addition to the aerospace theme park, there will also be an aerospace assembly plant and other destination components such as hotels. “It will be the first international standard theme park in the area and the first commercial tourist attraction in Hainan,” says Christian Aaen, regional director in Asia for AECOM Economics.
Since June last year, an international planning and design team has been assembled for the project; members include BRC Imagination Arts, Woods Bagot, and AECOM. The theme park is expected to have four zones for the earth, the sun, the moon, and Mars. Besides amusement rides, simulators, and the like, visitors will also get to tour the working facilities and witness actual satellite launches from the live launch site eight to 10 times a year.
CASIL President Zhao Liqiang told local media the park, set to open late 2013 to 2014, is expected to receive 2 million visitors a year. A large proportion of the visitors are expected to be domestic tourists from different parts of the country.
“Hainan Aerospace Theme Park is intended to be a fun-filled adventure park for guests of all ages,” says AECOM’s Aaen. “The park will be a full-day experience and will help with the positioning of Hainan.
“Instead of Hawaii, we think it’s better to compare Hainan to Central Florida—both have tropical climates and offer a range of amusement and leisure options.” With all the new projects in the pipeline, Hainan may truly come into its own in the near future.
Lim Hui Sin is a writer and translator based in China. Originally from Singapore, she has been living in Shanghai for nine years. She can be reached at sinify@gmail.com.
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