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I've been to Hainan a bunch of times, and about 10 years ago they just opened the Marriott and other chain hotels and it was cheap, maybe 100 USD a night for ocean view rooms. The beach (Yalong Bay) was beautiful and the water super clean. The problem with Hainan is that it's not cheap anymore and it's too Chinese. There is really nowhere to go outside the hotel resorts (which there are now hundreds of them and none of the chain hotels are cheap) and the restaurant and bar choices are not very good. I was there a couple years ago and it was still the same old Sanya/Hainan.
It will never be a spot with Western tourists, and even many experience Chinese travelers would much rather go to Thailand or other SE Asian places. Hainan will continue to attract the mid to lower level Chinese tourists who haven't ever experienced traveling or the beach. More and more inland Mainland Chinese will continue to travel to Sanya because its warm and the beaches are rather nice, but with the large volume of rather ignorant Chinese travelers, you're going to take away the international vibe, if there every was one.
Chinese people are not as enthusiastic about beaches and sunshine as westerners. Most people like to go there in winters simply because most of China is freezing.
Many of my relatives purchased properties in Hainan (not Sanya). They go their in winter months, just for the temperature.
Last edited by yueng-ling; 05-21-2016 at 03:41 AM..
The island will need to increase international flights especially intercontinental routes if it has a plan to increase international tourism and has a visa free policy like Thailand, Indonesia and others.
The island is easily reached by short flights from HK and Macau, two cities with many international tourists.
The island will need to increase international flights especially intercontinental routes if it has a plan to increase international tourism and has a visa free policy like Thailand, Indonesia and others.
The island is easily reached by short flights from HK and Macau, two cities with many international tourists.
I'm so close to Hainan....I'm in Macau.
But, whenever I see photos of Hainan, it just looks like overcowded beaches filled with tons and tons of Chinese tourists, and few amenities for non-Chinese. Also, when foreigners go to the Mainland, they need visas, PLUS, most Chinese hotel clerks don't like seeing foreigners or speaking in English. It's common to be shoo'ed away at the hotel door even with your reservation in hand. One of my co-workers just had that in Hainan a couple weeks ago. In short, China still has a LONG WAYS TO GO to attract foreigners, particularly when it comes to beaches.
It's too tempting to just hop on a plane and hit Thailand or Philippines beaches. Seems way more English-friendly, and just more interesting and exotic. Plus very welcoming, and they really take care of a 'tourist'.
Kenting in southern Taiwan is quite famous in Taiwan, HK and Macau too. It also doesn't attract many non Chinese speaking people. The non Chinese speakers including many Japanese and Koreans mostly visit Taipei.
the presence of large number of people from party cultures won't be good for Hainan. Like Okinawa, it is fine with mainly domestic tourists with some additional tourists from similar cultures, Taiwan, South Korea and HK.
With China and Japan both having a high GDP and population, foreign tourists aren't important for the two countries. Japan also had a less open visa policy. Many years ago, South Koreans, Taiwanese and HK people needed to apply visas to visit Japan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiger Beer
I'm so close to Hainan....I'm in Macau.
But, whenever I see photos of Hainan, it just looks like overcowded beaches filled with tons and tons of Chinese tourists, and few amenities for non-Chinese. Also, when foreigners go to the Mainland, they need visas, PLUS, most Chinese hotel clerks don't like seeing foreigners or speaking in English. It's common to be shoo'ed away at the hotel door even with your reservation in hand. One of my co-workers just had that in Hainan a couple weeks ago. In short, China still has a LONG WAYS TO GO to attract foreigners, particularly when it comes to beaches.
It's too tempting to just hop on a plane and hit Thailand or Philippines beaches. Seems way more English-friendly, and just more interesting and exotic. Plus very welcoming, and they really take care of a 'tourist'.
Last edited by Tomboy-; 06-12-2019 at 11:46 AM..
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