What could make Hainan stand out as a tropical destination?
China's southernmost province of Hainan has come into the spotlight since the State Council unveiled its plan to build the island into a top international tourism destination by 2020.
With similar selling points of creamy beaches and warm sunshine, what could make Hainan stand out from the competition of other tropical destinations, like Hawaii, Phuket and Bali?
Tropical warmth, palm trees and humid breezes from the South China Sea have made Hainan a popular resort for Chinese tourists. Large groups of international tourists have poured in to the island, with those from Russia and East Asia making up the majority.
Chi Fulin, a Hainan-based researcher, has been pushing for the concept of building the island into an international destination since 2000. He says the central government's favorable policies on duty free shopping, visa and traffic rights will make Hainan more attractive to foreigners.
"We have rich natural resources for tourism, such as white beaches, tropical rainforests and hot springs. They are all amongst the top ranked in the world. Sea tours will also be a highlight. We should work with neighboring countries to build a tourism economic circle to better integrate our resources."
With these tropical features, the island was once known as the "oriental Hawaii", but Neel Banerjee, research director for travel & leisure with Hong Kong-based TNS, notes Hainan is not necessarily going to be another Hawaii.
He suggests the local government focus on "experience tourism" by leveraging the value of the culture and people.
"It has a lot of ethnic groups, you know the Li people and other ethnic minorities. So showcasing some of the cultural beauty of Hainan is probably a key part of differentiating Hainan from the other destinations."
His sentiment is shared by Chi Fulin.
"The Li ethnic group live in Hainan, and the island has rich historic cultural heritage. But how to make the unique cultural environment a part of the attractions? We still need to make efforts."
As the island will mainly target mid- and low-income tourists both domestically and from abroad, Chi Fulin says the expense of traveling to the island will not exceed that in Phuket or Cheju island in South Korea.
Meanwhile, Hainan won't abandon high-end customers. The world's second and third seven-star hotels will be built in Sanya to tap the luxurious tourism market.
Chi Fulin notes the island must upgrade its service sector to meet the growing demands.
"We are still lagging behind our competitors in terms of the service sector. If we could further develop tourism-related service in the coming decade, like the cultural and entertainment industries, the financial sector, as well as duty-free shopping, Hainan would be more attractive to international visitors."
But on the other hand, the analyst Banerjee with TNS reminds the government that it shouldn't encourage rampant commercialization, which has been frequently seen in many resorts around the world.
"There is a need to balance the development of the place with the fear of commercialization. And I think the government should be very careful to make sure that the beauty of Hainan is preserved and I think as a foreigner I would appreciate it a lot more."