Tan Li, vice governor of southern China’ s Hainan Province said, "Hainan will not follow Macao’s road in developing gambling tourism. Hainan’s target is to turn into an all-season garden for people across the world."
The remarks were made at a press conference for the Boao International Tourism Forum, which will open in Sanya, a tourist resort in Hainan. The forum has attracted more than 2,000 people from tourist sectors worldwide.
Hainan became a province and China’s largest special economic zone in 1988, enjoying preferential development policies.
The island boasts year-round tropical weather, beaches, forests and diverse ethnic cultures.
English News.cn reports the central government has announced in a guideline that it aimed to build Hainan into a top international tourist destination by 2020.