Sanya duty-free sales top 500m yuan over National Day holiday

During this year's Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, Sanya stood out as a top long-distance travel destination in China, with its duty-free market seeing a noticeable surge in sales.

Data shows that from Oct 1 to 7, four duty-free shops under the oversight of Sanya Customs saw 67,000 customers make purchases, totaling 361,000 items and over 500 million yuan ($74.7 million) in sales.

China Duty Free Group's six stores in Hainan province embraced an innovative approach this holiday, blending "products + experiences + services" into their operations.

By weaving Mid-Autumn and National Day themes into the shopping experience, they shifted from simple shopping tours to immersive tours.

Over the holiday period, these stores welcomed more than 720,000 visitor trips, a 21 percent increase over the same period last year, boosting confidence in Hainan's fourth-quarter consumer market.

Celebrating its 12th anniversary, Sanya International Duty-Free Shopping Complex featured popular character parades and a drone light show, along with holiday deals like gifts and lotteries for purchases up to a certain amount, drawing many visitors.

At Sanya Phoenix International Airport's duty-free store, pop-up spots near boarding gates offered QR code ordering and home delivery, enhancing the shopping experience for travelers.

During the National Day holiday, Sanya Customs implemented measures to streamline procedures for businesses and travelers. It improved the appointment clearance system to quickly meet business needs, conducted store inspections, provided on-site policy advice and used smart systems like intelligent document review and remote video inspections to ensure smooth duty-free operations.

Even though the holiday is over, Sanya's duty-free shopping perks continue, with offshore duty-free vouchers still being distributed.