Sanya delegate witnesses growth of Hainan's duty-free industry

Liu Zhili. [Photo/Hainan Daily]

In the past decade, Liu Zhili, a delegate of the 20th CPC National Congress and a team leader of the sales department of Sanya International Duty Free Complex, has witnessed the vigorous development of Hainan's duty-free industry.

In 2014, Liu graduated from Sanya Aviation Tourism Vocational College and became a salesperson at Sanya International Duty Free Complex. "When I first came to work, there were nearly 300 brands in our store. In 2022, it has more than 750 brands covering 45 categories of incense, jewelry, watches, drinks, and electronic products," she said.

Since the implementation of the offshore duty-free policy in Hainan in April 2011, the varieties, quotas, frequency limits, and supervision methods of duty-free shopping have been improved, better meeting tourists' consumption needs.

According to Haikou Customs, it supervised the sales of 195 million offshore duty-free goods, with a sales amount of 145.5 billion yuan (20 billion) from 2011 to the first quarter of 2022.

"Our sales performance cannot be separated from the strong support of favorable policies," Liu said.

With the construction of the international tourism consumption center with global influence, Hainan's offshore duty-free shopping will usher in more opportunities.

"We will insist on the principle of honest operation and improve the service level, contributing to the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port," Liu added.