China's resort island receives over 90 mln tourists in 2023

This aerial photo taken on Oct. 1, 2023 shows tourists going sailing in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

HAIKOU, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- More than 90 million domestic and overseas tourists visited south China's tropical island province of Hainan in 2023, up 49.9 percent year on year, local authorities said Monday.

Hainan's total tourism revenue surged 71.9 percent year on year to about 181.3 billion yuan (about 25.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, according to the provincial department of tourism, culture, radio, television and sports.

Last year, Hainan experienced rapid development in cruise tourism. Cruises to the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea saw 400 trips, up 277.8 percent year on year, and received 149,400 domestic tourists, up 405.33 percent.

This year, Hainan aims to receive 99 million tourists and its tourism revenue is expected to reach 207 billion yuan. The province aims to receive more than 1 million inbound tourists in 2024.

China aims to build Hainan into an international tourism and consumption center by 2025 and a globally influential tourism and consumption destination by 2035.