A number of cultural tourism projects have been launched in Hainan to enhance the attractiveness of tourist destinations

On October 18, in Sanya, the 38th Boutique Project Exchange and Investment Promotion Activity organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Industry Project Service Platform took place. A total of 25 organizations from various cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hunan, and Hainan officially signed agreements to establish cultural and tourism projects in Hainan.

Tourism is one of the four leading industries in Hainan’s free trade port. This year, the Hainan provincial government introduced the “Three-Year Action Plan for High-Quality Development of Hainan’s Tourism Industry (2024–2026).” The plan aims to create a high-quality circular tourism road system and ecological tourism products in the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, alongside a robust ocean tourism product system, cultural and tourism integration products, sports tourism products, as well as healthcare and wellness tourism products, while promoting the construction of significant tourism attractions.

Chen Tiejun, the director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism and Culture, stated that the objective of the boutique project exchange and investment promotion activity is to strengthen communication and collaboration through the Industry Project Service Platform of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The initiative aims to broaden financing channels for Hainan’s cultural and tourism enterprises, encouraging more industry players to deeply integrate into the development of Hainan’s free trade port and contribute to building Hainan into an international tourism consumption center, ultimately striving to make the province a world-class tourist destination.

During the event, eight organizations signed framework agreements with the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism and Culture, resulting in the establishment of nine cultural and tourism projects across various fields, including educational tourism, sports tourism, car rentals, digital cultural tourism, low-altitude tourism, and rural cultural tourism.

“Haikou Island is one of the best places for self-driving tours. It boasts unique natural endowments and rich infrastructure such as the circular tour road, making it an excellent platform for developing and updating the self-driving tourism culture,” said Li Zeyu, the General Manager of the Government Affairs Department at Beijing Shenzhou Car Rental Company. The company plans to leverage Hainan’s resource advantages to design travel products and market them, transforming the travel experience itself into a product that enhances visitors’ journey.

In recent years, low-altitude tourism has gained popularity across various regions of Hainan. Wei Jun, Deputy General Manager of China General Aviation, sees a bright future for low-altitude tourism in Hainan. He mentioned that the company intends to integrate existing low-altitude tourism resources in Hainan into a systematic low-altitude tourism network. They also plan to innovate in product design by shifting away from traditional sightseeing modes, incorporating local cultural resources, and integrating advanced technologies like VR to offer a richer array of experiences for diverse audience groups.