Hainan to build world's largest duty-free shop

(China Times) Southern China's island province of Hainan, a popular tourist destination, is to build the world's largest duty-free shop, according to provincial authorities.

Hainan plans to relocate an existing duty-free shop downtown in the resort city of Sanya, to a 60,000-square-meter complex in Haitang Bay, said the vice governor Tan Li at a press conference during the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan. Sanya's current duty-free shop is only about 10,000 square meters.

The Sanya Haitang Bay International Shopping Mall will attract international brands and fashion labels and combine duty-free shopping with hotels, restaurants and entertainment.

Hainan also plans to expand and transform another duty-free shop in the provincial capital of Haikou from 3,650 sq m to 4,880 sq m.

The State Council, China's cabinet, gave Hainan permission to run a duty-free program on a trial basis in April 2011 to promote the province as an international tourist destination.

Offshore duty-free shopping in Hainan's two DFS stores in 2013, hit 3.3 billion yuan (US$530 million), up 40% year-on-year.

Source: Want China Times