Hainan promotes wedding tourism on North Bund
China (Hainan) Free Trade Pilot Zone
Hainan Province has ambitions to become a world-famous destination for weddings and honeymoons with preferential policies from the China (Hainan) Free Trade Pilot Zone, officials announced in Shanghai.
The southern Chinese island launched a promotional event for its wedding and honeymoon amenities on the North Bund waterfront in Shanghai's Hongkou District on Tuesday night to help realize its goal.
Over 100 representatives from marriage and bridal-related companies based in Shanghai and neighboring provinces attended the event to promote the island's wedding and honeymoon attractions.
The event hosted by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, TV and Sports of Hainan Province is part of Hainan's efforts to accelerate the construction of its free trade port and become an international tourism and shopping center, according to the department.
A number of innovative institutions and policies on trade and tax have been implemented for the Hainan free trade port, which further boost the wedding and tourism potential of Hainan, said Xie Qiuxiong, director of the department.
Hainan has increased its annual tax-free shopping quota for travelers to 100,000 yuan (US$14,470) per person, up from the previous 30,000 yuan.
The former tax-free limit of 8,000 yuan for a single product has been lifted too, while categories of duty-free goods have also been expanded.
A duty free shop in Hainan's Boao
"The policy adjustment will greatly improve consumers' shopping experience, especially for new couples who can purchase additional jewellery, watches, wedding dresses and shoes," Xie said.
Hainan plans to introduce international brands in photography, wedding ceremonies, honeymoons and wedding products to become a high-end wedding tourist destination, said Xu Wei, president of Hainan's wedding tourism industry association.
Japanese wedding company GE signed an agreement with Sanya Tourism and Culture Investment Group in Shanghai on Tuesday to become the first foreign wedding planner based on Hainan Island. The company plans to bring Japanese wedding ceremonies to customers on Hainan.
Hainan has over 100 hotels and 15 tourism spots that offer wedding products or services, along with over 500 wedding photo studios and some 1,000 wedding service providers.
In 2019, 380,000 couples took wedding photos in Hainan, while 280,000 spent their honeymoons on the island.
Most couples and invited guests chose to spend four days and three nights in Hainan for a wedding ceremony. The most popular period is between September and March, Xu said.
Some 2,600 weddings were held in the province last year. Total tourism revenue reached 10.5 billion yuan, a five percent increase from 2017, according to the province.
A hotel and resort complex in Hainan
