This year marks the first year of the island-wide special customs operations launched in South China’s Hainan Free Trade Port. Fifteen years ago, an offshore duty-free policy was adopted in the province. Over the years, the Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex has recorded more than 85.4 million tourist visits and generated sales exceeding 186 billion yuan ($27 billion).
A panorama of the Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Sanya City, Hainan Province. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
The Complex has optimized its management and services in recent years and has become China’s first 4A-level tourist site with duty-free shopping as its core function.
In 2025, the Complex transformed itself to cater to the needs of the island-wide customs operations, thereby taking in more revenue and achieving its annual revenue goal. Since 2026, the year-on-year growth rate of its revenue has hit 32 percent.
The Complex now holds more than 70 percent of the market share and has become a crucial engine for local economic growth.
The Complex created new attractions to respond to consumption changes. It added new duty-free commodities in compliance with the adjustment made in the offshore duty-free policy. With a focus on debut economy, it promoted diverse commercial brands through the first release of goods or the first store. It incorporated high-quality Chinese brands to help them export commodities. Electronic products sold best in the Complex as they were less costly with government consumption vouchers and national subsidy policies.
The Complex’s sales hit a record high during Spring Festival of 2026, with as many as 92,000 tourists shopping here within a single day. It created the scenarios for festival experience and cultural consumption, and set up light shows and an exhibition for intangible cultural heritage, thereby enabling consumers to shop, walk around and feel the Spring Festival atmosphere.
During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), the Complex will advance its stores´ digitalization and optimize its management and services through advanced technologies to promote the economic growth of Hainan and build Sanya into an international tourism and consumption center.
The Complex will improve its amenities to offer one-stop service to customers. It will use artificial intelligence to provide a unique shopping experience and adopt smart, digital tools to optimize storage, distribution, sales and settlement processes, thereby achieving data interconnectivity and business coordination.
(Executive editor: Zuo Shihan)
