New regulation leads Hainan's high-quality tourism upgrade

On December 1, 2025, the "Regulations on Tourism in Hainan Free Trade Port" officially came into effect, injecting strong legal momentum into the construction of Hainan International Tourism Consumption Center. This regulation, combined with the innovation of cultural and tourism integrated formats, is promoting Hainan's tourism from scale expansion to quality improvement, depicting a new picture of China's tourism opening-up and development.

Opening-up policies activate global market vitality

The internationalization of tourism essentially lies in the all-round integration of markets, factors and services. The introduction of the "Regulations on Tourism in Hainan Free Trade Port" has accurately responded to the cooperation needs of the global tourism market. The regulation clearly relaxes restrictions on foreign investment access and allows joint-venture travel agencies to operate outbound tourism business. This groundbreaking measure not only breaks traditional market barriers, but also introduces internationally advanced tourism operation models and service standards, enabling Hainan's tourism to achieve quality improvement and efficiency enhancement through competition. At the same time, the policy support for the international cruise and yacht industry, as well as facilitation arrangements for the practice of foreign professionals, are building a more attractive tourism industry ecosystem, making Hainan a gathering place for tourists globally.

The strengthened visa-free entry policy and the improvement of foreign-related services in the regulation have formed a synergy with Hainan's continuously expanding international air route network. More and more international tourists are finding that the process of arriving in Hainan is simpler and payment and communication are smoother.

Upgrade of consumer protection laying foundation for high-quality development

If internationalization is the "growth pole" of Hainan's tourism, then the protection of consumer rights and interests is the "ballast stone". The "30-day refund and advance payment" mechanism clearly stipulated in the "Regulations on Tourism in Hainan Free Trade Port" directly addresses the pain points of tourism consumption and creates a reassuring consumption system environment for tourists. This mechanism not only reflects respect and protection for consumers, but also conveys Hainan's determination to regulate the tourism market and improve service quality.

The upgrade of consumer protection has formed a positive interaction with the growth of tourism consumption. With the implementation of safeguard measures such as refund mechanisms and service standards, tourists' willingness to consume in Hainan has continued to increase, and the growth rate of total tourism consumption has been significantly higher than that of the number of tourists. Behind this transformation is the comprehensive upgrading of the tourism supply side: From the quality improvement of duty-free shopping to the branding development of characteristic catering, from the personalized iteration of accommodation services to the refined improvement of public services, Hainan is building a complete ecological chain that allows tourists to "be willing to, dare to, and enjoy consumption". The protection of consumer rights and interests is no longer a simple regulatory tool, but has become an endogenous driving force for promoting the high-quality development of the tourism industry.

Format integration and innovation expand tourism boundaries

The encouragement of new formats such as low-altitude tourism and health tourism in the "Regulations on Tourism in Hainan Free Trade Port" has opened up new growth space for Hainan's tourism. Relying on its unique ecological resources and climatic advantages, Hainan is accelerating the integrated development of "culture and tourism +", extending tourism from a single sightseeing vacation to more fields. Low-altitude tourism allows tourists to appreciate the island's scenery from a new perspective, health tourism creates characteristic experiences by combining Li and Miao medicine with hot spring resources, and new formats such as night economy, study tourism and sports tourism are constantly emerging, forming a diversified tourism product matrix.

Behind the format innovation is the systematic reconstruction of the industrial ecosystem. Hainan's island-circling tourism highway's driverless routes, immersive themed consumption scenarios, and in-depth integration of intangible cultural heritage and scenic spots are meeting tourists' diverse expectations for "poetry and distance" with these new scenes and experiences. The integrated models of "culture and tourism + technology", "culture and tourism + sports" and "culture and tourism + ecology" have not only enriched the supply of tourism products, but also extended the tourism industrial chain, creating more employment opportunities and economic value.

Effective policy implementation

The vitality of regulations lies in their implementation. From the top-level design of the construction of the International Tourism Consumption Center to the specific implementation of the "Regulations on Tourism in Hainan Free Trade Port", Hainan has always adhered to promoting reform through opening-up and development through innovation. The relaxation of foreign investment access, the protection of consumer rights and interests, and the cultivation of new formats are not isolated policies, but support each other and form a synergy to jointly promote Hainan's tourism to a higher level.

The steady growth of Hainan's tourism reception volume and consumption volume, as well as the substantial increase in inbound tourists, demonstrate the market's confidence in Hainan's tourism development. With the in-depth implementation of the regulations, Hainan will further open up the "last mile" of policy implementation, allowing international tourism services to have a synergistic effect, improving consumer protection, enriching business products, and accelerating the creation of a world-renowned international tourism consumption destination.