The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) announced the Hainan Provincial Tourism Development Committee as a destination member. Hainan is China’s second largest island. In December 2009, the State Council marked international tourism on Hainan island as a national strategy, and the Hainan International Tourism Island Development Plan was formed.

Increasingly tourism has developed rapidly and the Hainan Provincial Tourism Development Committee has constantly been improving tourism services and facilities, tourist reception capacity, and a number of resort areas and scenic spots. Currently, there are more than 400 tourist hotels on the island.

“It is clear that China is positioning to be a world leader of sustainable development and particularly of renewable energy: it is already a world tourism leader with Hainan as a leading edge destination. This combination of rapid growth and deepening sustainability will require enormous shifts at an operational level, and ICTP looks forward to helping in that evolution,” said Geoffrey Lipman, President of ICTP.

Chairman of ICTP, Juergen T. Steinmetz said: “The goal of the Hainan Provincial Tourism Development Committee is to build Hainan into a world-class island leisure tourism destination, while keeping its ecological environment beautiful and maintaining its unique cultural charm. This fits right in with ICTP’s mission for quality green growth.”

By 2015, Hainan wants to enhance the scale of the tourism industry, as well as its quality and efficiency, to further enhance the role of tourism in boosting economic growth for the island. According to the strategic positioning of international tourism in Hainan Island, the overall consideration is to be mindful of environmental capacity, resource capacity, and to follow the laws of nature of the international tourism island, including strengthening the planning and control of the major tourist attractions and resort areas in coastal areas.