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Tourists raise 25%. Duty Free, $ 24 million in one week. Visa exemptions for 26 countries

The south China resort city of Sanya saw a tourist boom during this year's Spring Festival holiday, according to local tourism authorities on Friday. Sanya, located in the island province of Hainan, received 707,400 tourist arrivals, a 25.47-percent increase compared with last year's Spring Festival holiday, according to statistics released by the Sanya Tourism Commission.

The Sanya Phoenix International Airport handled passenger throughput of over 420,000 visits during the week-long Spring Festival, or lunar new year, which ran from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6. The city of only 200,000 urban residents attracts tourists with its warm weather, sea and sand.

In the Spring Festival week, the offshore duty-free store in Sanya received more than 126,300 customers and saw total sales of 145 million yuan (about 23.92 million U.S. dollars). The island city and province have seen growing tourism since an offshore duty-free program began in April 2011 on a trial basis.

Tourists and locals aged 16 or above can enjoy duty exemptions on certain imported commodities worth no more than 8,000 yuan before flying to other destinations within China. China has made efforts to promote Hainan as an international tourist destination by issuing duty-free policies, tax refunds after departure, and visa exemptions for tourists from 26 countries.

Hainan duty-free sales exceed 3 bln yuan
Offshore duty-free shopping in south China's Hainan Province surged in 2013, with total sales reaching 3.3 billion yuan (540 million U.S. dollars), up 40 percent year on year. Offshore duty-free stores received more than 1.1 million customers and sold 4.47 million items, up 6 percent and 28 percent year on year respectively, according to statistics released by Haikou Customs on Tuesday.

Hainan has two duty-free shops, with one in the provincial capital of Haikou and the other in the resort city of Sanya. The island province has seen booming tourism since an offshore duty-free program began in April 2011 on a trial basis.

Tourists and locals aged 16 or above can enjoy duty exemptions on certain imported commodities worth no more than 8,000 yuan before flying to other destinations within China.

Visa exemptions for 26 countries.
China has made efforts to promote Hainan as an international tourist destination by issuing duty-free policies, tax refunds after departure, and visa exemptions for tourists from 26 countries.