Hainan duty-free sales surpass $71m during Spring Festival

HAIKOU -- Offshore duty-free shops on the popular resort island of Hainan in south China recorded 450 million yuan ($71 million) in sales during the weeklong Spring Festival holiday, up 25 percent year on year.

The two shops, one in Haikou and the other in the resort city of Sanya on the southern tip of Hainan Island, received 99,000 customers, up 32 percent, according to the Customs of Haikou City, capital of Hainan.

The sales of cosmetics, accessories and clothes topped 300 million yuan, about 70 percent of the total.

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

Hainan was among the top 10 domestic destinations during this year's Spring Festival holiday which ended Wednesday, hosting 5.67 million tourists, up 10 percent.

However, heavy fog on the Qiongzhou Strait, the only way for cars to leave the island, stranded thousands passengers and cars. Ferries resumed on Thursday morning as visibility improved.

As of Saturday morning, there were still more than 5,000 cars waiting to be shipped off the island.