HAIKOU - No place in China has hogged more of the limelight than Hainan since the dawn of the year, when the central government unveiled a national strategy of developing the southernmost province into a world-class tourism destination in a decade.

So much so that Luo Baoming, governor of China's only tropical island province, has found his days brimming with meetings to deal with "hot issues" arising from Hainan's new momentum and the visits of foreign dignitaries, business gurus and journalists.

The core message he delivers to visitors is that ecological protection is the lifeline for expansion of the island's tourism, and Hainan is way off from the goal of becoming "a top international tourist destination", Luo told China Daily.