A billboard for the launch of island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) is seen in Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, Dec. 17, 2025. China on Thursday launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP). (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)

Travel demand to the island province of Hainan in South China surged after the island-wide special customs operations officially started on Thursday. 

Business operators and experts anticipated that the move will significantly ease cross-border travel, drive growth in duty-free shopping and inbound spending, attract additional international airlines, and enable more customized tourism offerings to cater to the evolving preferences of global visitors.

According to data that domestic travel platform Qunar sent to the Global Times, Hainan's Haikou and Sanya rose to top 5 travel destinations in China on Thursday in terms of searches on the platform. 

For the 2026 New Year's Day holiday, which will be the first holiday after the start of the special customs operations, flight bookings to Haikou, the capital city of Hainan, are up 19 percent and those to Sanya are up 51 percent year-on-year, signaling strong domestic and inbound momentum, Qunar data showed.

The travel enthusiasm also extends to the Spring Festival holiday (February 15-23, 2026). Flight ticket bookings to Haikou have surged 130 percent on a yearly basis, while those to Sanya have increased by 80 percent.

During the Christmas and New Year's Day holiday season, the number of inbound international flight bookings to Haikou has increased by more than 40 percent year-on-year on Qunar. During the Spring Festival holiday, inbound flight ticket bookings to Haikou have more than doubled year-on-year, Qunar data showed.

The top source countries for international visitors to Haikou during the Spring Festival include Russia, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, South Korea, and Thailand. 

"Hainan Airlines is actively leveraging its advantages as a local carrier to fully support Hainan in building an aviation regional gateway hub facing the Pacific and Indian Oceans," Zhang Da, deputy director of the Hainan regional marketing center in the sales department of Hainan Airlines, told the Global Times.

As of this month, Hainan Airlines had opened more than 20 international and regional routes from Haikou, with a network covering North America, Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Australia-New Zealand, Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, said Zhang.

Hotel bookings also surged. According to domestic travel platform Tongcheng Travel, during the first weekend after the special customs operations, favorite room types in popular resorts such as Sanya and Haikou have all been booked. Family rooms and sea-view suites are particularly in high demand.。

The Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) on Thursday officially commenced island-wide special customs operations, under which the port will implement a special supervision model described as "freer access at the first line, regulated access at the second line, and free flows within the island," the Office of the Hainan Free Trade Port Working Committee told the Global Times.

"Freer access at the first line" allows overseas goods to enter the island more conveniently, with most benefiting from zero tariffs and expedited clearance, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

As Hainan positions itself as a gateway for China's dual-circulation strategy, the island-wide special customs operation is expected to amplify tourism, retail, and investment inflows. With enhanced duty-free policies and infrastructure, the island is poised for a tourism boom, with continued vitality in post-holiday period, analysts said.

In order to further boost Hainan as a major destination for tourism and shopping, favorable policies were rolled out ahead of the special customs operation, as China aims to build Hainan into a globally influential tourism and consumption hub by 2035, according to the country's top economic planner. 

For example, on November 1, the new policy on duty-free shopping in Hainan was officially implemented. This move increased the list of eligible goods from 45 to 47 categories, with new additions including pet supplies, portable musical instruments, micro-drones and small home appliances. 

With policy support, duty-free stores have set up special sections for domestic products, the Global Times learned. High-end electronic consumer goods such as micro-drones and digital photography and video equipment have become popular choices for tourists.