# tourism

Hainan’s Duty‑Free Boom: Tourists Flood In, iPhones and Gold Fly Off Shelves in First Month of 'Sealed‑Port' Experiment

In the first month after Hainan implemented an island‑wide sealed‑port customs regime, duty‑free retail and tourism surged: RMB 4.86 billion in sales, sharp rises in hotel and flight bookings, and shortages in popular items such as gold jewellery and iPhones. Policy changes — expanded zero‑tariff lists, visa easing for Russian tourists, and consumer vouchers — have driven a rapid reorientation of demand, while customs digitalisation eased throughput and regulators warned of resale and fraud risks.