HAIKOU -- By Wednesday, South China's Hainan province had seen more than 2 million inbound and outbound passengers this year, up 22.4 percent year on year, 59 days earlier than in 2024 to reach the 2-million mark, said local border inspection authorities.

With the continuous optimization and upgrading of the visa-free policy, passengers from 86 countries can now enter Hainan visa-free, making the island province one of China's most accessible destinations for international travelers. Hainan has also opened 79 international passenger air routes to facilitate its inbound visitors.

So far this year, the number of foreigners entering and leaving Hainan has exceeded 1.06 million, a year-on-year increase of 45.1 percent, accounting for 53 percent of China's total number of inbound and outbound passengers, ranking among the top in the country, said the border inspection authorities in Haikou, the provincial capital.

Notably, the number of foreigners entering Hainan visa-free has reached 430,000, accounting for 88.9 percent of the total number of inbound foreign passengers. This marks a 63.6 percent year-on-year increase, hitting a new historical peak. Visa-free entry has become the main way for foreigners to enter Hainan.

China aims to build Hainan into an international tourism and consumption center by 2025 and a globally influential destination by 2035.