No hype but solid talk on Hainan: Adviser
But Hainan will be hard-pressed to reach this level given that its urban resident's annual income is about 3,000 yuan ($440) less than the country's average, he said.
For Hainan to catch up, the growth rate of residents' income will have to double, he said.
Also, Hainan's gross domestic product must grow at least 15 percent annually, up from 8.7 percent last year.
Hainan ranked 23rd in competitiveness in China last year, better only than Xinjiang, Guangxi, Tibet and other less-developed regions, according to a report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Finally, the central government requires Hainan to implement a unified land management plan for urban and rural areas, Chi said.
"This will be an issue with great implications," he said. "For one thing, the plan will ensure there is a sufficient land supply for Hainan's development."
Chi said Hainan has just started its endeavor to become a top tourist attraction, and it still has a long way to go. Therefore, it needs to sort out major issues and challenges, and avoid short-sighted decisions like heating up the real estate market and risk a bubble that could ruin Hainan's future, he said.
Chi proposed Hainan take a bold step to reshuffle its administrative regions, by consolidating its 18 counties and cities into five major cities, one each in the east, west, north, south and central part of the island.
With the new arrangement, the rural and urban regions would have a unified plan for infrastructure construction, land use and administration as well as social projects.
This would facilitate the efficient use of otherwise scattered resources and improve residents' living standards.
Chi also suggested Hainan establish a regional commercial bank to boost the local government's confidence in building a top international tourist destination.