HAIKOU - South China's island province of Hainan reported a total of 16.9 billion yuan ($2.46 billion) in offshore duty-free sales in the first quarter of this year, a year-on-year increase of 14.6 percent, according to Haikou Customs.
During the period, the number of shoppers for duty-free products in Hainan totaled 2.24 million, up 27.2 percent year-on-year, with more than 19.6 million duty-free products sold.
China released a master plan in June 2020 to build Hainan into a globally influential and high-level free-trade port by the middle of the century. Over recent years, the island province has grown into an attractive shopping destination for domestic consumers.
In October 2022, Haikou International Duty-Free Shopping Complex, the world's largest stand-alone duty-free shopping mall, opened in Haikou, the capital of Hainan. In April, the renowned department store Wangfujing Group Co Ltd launched the island province's 12th offshore duty-free shop in Wanning city.
