Duty-free sales in south China's Hainan Province have surpassed 200 billion yuan (about 28.1 billion U.S. dollars) over the past five years, after the island significantly raised its shopping quota and expanded product categories in July 2020, the provincial Haikou Customs said.

As of Sept 11, a total of 30 million consumers had made duty-free purchases, buying 247 million items since July 1, 2020, when the policy took effect. The annual duty-free shopping quota for travelers leaving the island was raised to 100,000 yuan (14.04 U.S. dollars) per person, with the cap on single-item purchases lifted and the range of eligible goods extended to include electronics and other products.

Over the past five years, shopping at duty-free stores has become a must-do experience for tourists in Hainan.
"I think the duty-free stores offer a wide variety of products. The original prices are already lower than elsewhere, and with additional discounts, it's particularly cost-effective. The value for money here is much higher compared to outside," said a tourist from Jiangsu Province.

To enhance the shopping experience, Hainan has introduced multiple convenient pickup options, including mail delivery, island resident pickup after returning, and instant pickup with or without guarantee. These measures have further stimulated consumption potential.

Yang Ruisi, chairperson of Haikou Global Duty Free Plaza, noted, "We actively introduce new brands such as alcoholic beverages and electronic products, and expedite the restocking of popular fragrances, cosmetics, and high-end goods. In recent years, benefiting from new models like 'buy and pick up immediately' and 'buy with guarantee and pick up immediately,' as well as promotional efforts and customer attraction through large-scale commercial events including concerts, our industry's development paths have continuously expanded."

To fully leverage the policy, Haikou Customs has implemented smart supervision methods, including a "centralized+automated" review system and drone delivery of duty-free goods.

Song Xiaobo, deputy chief of the Duty-Free Goods Supervision Section at Yecheng Customs, said, "By handling the duty-free goods registration and approval for entry and exit at all 12 duty-free stores across the island through information technology and centralized processing, we achieve 'arrival, reporting, review, and release' of duty-free goods immediately. 

There are now 12 offshore duty-free stores in Hainan, located in key tourist cities including Haikou, Sanya, and Qionghai.?