Hainan rides high during duty free business over long holiday

Hainan province's offshore duty-free market recorded strong sales during the first National Day holiday since the island launched special customs operations, as its tourism sector continued to heat up and duty-free shopping — a core calling card of its drive to become a tourism and consumption mecca — drew large crowds.

From Oct 1-7, Haikou Customs supervised 855 million yuan ($128 million) in offshore duty-free purchases, 123,000 visits and 696,800 items.

China Duty Free Group reported robust footfall during its Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday campaign in Hainan, recording more than 720,000 visits, up 21 percent year-on-year.

The holiday performance reflected the integration of duty-free retail and cultural tourism, policy support and improvements in service delivery, a CDFG representative said.

At its cdf Haikou Meilan International Airport Duty-Free Shop, CDFG installed 34 character-themed photo spots alongside fragrance and food sampling stations and interactive activities led by Non-Player Characters. Services now cover boarding preparation and rest areas, linking shopping, relaxation and boarding into a complete travel chain.

Meanwhile, the cdf Haikou International Duty-Free Shopping Complex launched themed activities combining shopping, entertainment and sports. It created a 200-square-meter immersive space featuring daily parades, magic shows and stage performances over the holiday, aiming to boost foot traffic and sales.

Cdf Sanya International Duty-Free Shopping City, celebrating its 12th anniversary, introduced popular IP character parades, drone light shows, multiple loyalty points, gift-with-purchase offers and prize draws.

Qin Yuxue, deputy sales director at the mall, said the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays merged into a peak tourism consumption season. Since the anniversary promotion began Sept 1, store traffic has continued to grow, with beauty, digital, sports and outdoor categories performing especially well.

Tourist He Jia said she stocked up during the holiday because Hainan's duty-free prices for fragrances and cosmetics were cheaper than in Japan and other markets. "The more you buy, the bigger the discount," she said.

"Duty-free prices are already competitive, and with coupons and gift-with-purchase offers, it's much cheaper than buying at regular counters," said Chen Yuan, a tourist from Sichuan province. "It was a rewarding trip."

After a new duty-free policy took effect in November 2025, international travelers leaving the country can now purchase duty-free goods, while Hainan residents can make unlimited "buy and pick up immediately" purchases within a calendar year after one off-island trip. Purchases by departing and exiting travelers count toward their annual duty-free shopping quota of 100,000 yuan, with no limit on the number of transactions made. The policy made island residents a holiday highlight, turning duty-free consumption from a traveler-only privilege into part of local life.

Hou Xiaofei, marketing director of Global Premium Duty Free Plaza, said that after the launch of special customs operations, the offshore duty-free sector has entered a new stage of high-quality development. CDFG is expanding from product sales to scene innovation, cultural tourism integration and consumption stimulation. It aims to let local residents share policy benefits while offering visitors differentiated experiences, helping Hainan shift from sightseeing to in-depth experiential consumption.

chenbowen@chinadaily.com.cn