"This is Hainan trying hard to forge its branding as an international destination," said Michael Zhou, founder of Jingjian, a consultancy specializing in China tourism.
The tropical island of Hainan, dubbed the "Hawaii of China," has long been a top travel destination for domestic tourists.
According to Zhou, the bulk of Hainan's tourism income comes from hotel stays and duty-free shopping.
"As it is the largest duty-free channel in China, Hainan's duty-free sales decline is inevitable," said Charlie Chen, head of Asian Research at China Renaissance, a financial institution.
Ye and the China connectionCDF Haikou International Duty Free City is one of many duty-free malls on the Chinese island of Hainan.
Persons:
Du, Ye, Michael Zhou, Zhou, netizens, Ye's, Charlie Chen, Hainan's, Luo Yunfei
Organizations:
straitlaced Communist Party, Communist, Hainan's Provincial, of Statistics, Haikou, Asian Research, Duty, China News Service, Getty
Locations:
Hainan, Shanghai, China, Weibo, Beijing, Ye, Hawaii