Sanya to explore island tourism

Sanya city, Hainan province, has drawn up new measures to make full use of its island resources and promote tourism.

In a tourism development plan released by Sanya on Aug 20, the city will design one theme for each island according to their various resources and features in order to transform them into top tourism destinations.

To solve capital problems, the city is expected to sell or rent the islands to private enterprises with the government still retaining ownership.

According to the plan, every island will have a major theme. For instance, Coconut Island will focus on hosting high-end conferences with eco-tourism elements and a rainforest oxygen bar. Xiaoqingzhou Island, relying on its wonderful coral reefs, will offer undersea sightseeing, diving and adventures. Xiluo Island will be designated as a geographic science and ocean protection promotion base.

There are 70 islands in Sanya, but only two of them, Wuzhizhou and the West Islands, are well developed. Fully exploring the resources has been an issue for the government.