Hainan duty-free sales surpass $4.19b in past five years

HAIKOU - Offshore duty-free shops on the island province of Hainan sold more than 27 billion yuan ($4.19 billion) of goods from 2013 to the end of 2017, the provincial finance bureau announced Wednesday.

One of the shops is in the provincial capital of Haikou and the other, the world's largest, in the resort city of Sanya.

The two offshore duty-free shops have attracted more than 8 million people in the past five years and have been an important driver for the island's tourism industry.

The State Council gave Hainan permission to run a trial duty-free program in April 2011 to help make the island a world-class tourist destination by 2020.

Without any restrictions on the number of purchases, non-locals are allowed to buy duty-free products worth up to 16,000 yuan a year before they take flights or trains leaving the island.

Travelers can also order online and pick up their goods at the airport or railway station.