On May 11, local time in Los Angeles, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan, in conjunction with the China National Tourism Office in Los Angeles, held a Hainan tourism promotion event, as well as opened a new Hainan tourism promotion office in LA, showing that Hainan has now established a regular promotion channel in the North American market.

The opening of the new promotion office coincides with a period of rapid increase in visitors to Hainan. Thanks to the start of official special customs operations of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the expansion of the island province’s visa-free entry policies, and the continued rise in the number of international air routes connecting Hainan to the world, the number of inbound travelers has gone up significantly. In the first quarter of 2026, Hainan welcomed over 489,800 inbound travelers, an increase of 53.1% year-on-year.

International visitors enjoy touring Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park in Sanya. (Photo: Huang Qingyou)

Hainan, boasting a wealth of tropical coastal scenery, has become a top destination for travelers from around the world. The photo shows a section of the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway. (Photo: Hainan Daily)

Chen Fenghua, Consul of the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Los Angeles, stated at the event that Los Angeles is an important cultural tourism and aviation hub on the west coast of the United States, and that it complements Hainan in terms of resources, offering broad prospects for cooperation. This promotional event and the establishment of the tourism promotion office represent concrete progress in local cultural and tourism exchanges between China and the United States. The Consulate General will continue to support Hainan and California in deepening cooperation, promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and economic and trade ties.

Wu Dawei, Director of the China National Tourism Office in Los Angeles, believes that with the further development of the Hainan FTP, the province is becoming one of China's most international travel destinations. The optimization of policies such as the 144-hour visa-free transit policy also provides international travelers with more flexible travel arrangements. Wu hopes that through the tourism industry and media promotions, more American travelers will learn about and visit Hainan.

The new Hainan tourism promotion office in LA will be responsible for market promotion, tourist organization, channel coordination, brand communication, and event execution, and will regularly promote Hainan tourism products, connect with partners, and promote the island through the media.

A representative of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan stated that establishing overseas tourism promotion offices is a way for Hainan to expand into the international tourist market. Los Angeles, as a cultural hub and air hub in North America, is a key foothold for Hainan's expansion into the North American market. In the future, the office will promote the establishment of a regular cooperation mechanism between Hainan and Los Angeles in areas such as route expansion, mutual tourist exchange, product co-development, and brand promotion.