"Internet+Tourism" turns Hainan into smart international tourist island

China's Hainan province is adapting to the new trends in tourism development by combining tourism with "Internet Plus."

Hainan, the country's southernmost offshore island, is known for its tropical climate and alluring seas. It's often regarded as one of the hottest tourist destinations in China.

In recent years, Hainan is seeking marketing innovation and offering smart services to enhance traveling experience for tourists.

For instance, Hainan has unveiled an action plan to speed up Internet hardware construction.

By the end of 2016, the province's scenic spots were completely covered by 4G networks; Wi-Fi was available at 95 percent of the tourist attractions.

To promote Hainan's tourism resources and provide more convenient travel services, a self-service terminal named "Best Airport" has been introduced at Haikou Meilan International Airport, so that visitors can look up flight schedules, weather, transportation and other useful information.

Apart from that, the province's tourism commission is building an official website in seven languages to appeal to an international audience.

The commission is also running ads on TripAdvisor, the biggest travel website in the world, leading to a 55 percent surge of searches on Hainan.

E-commerce platform is also a crucial tool for the promotion of Hainan's special tourism products.

The province has built an online shop with Taobao, a famous Chinese online shopping website operated by Alibaba, making the tropical fruits of Hainan more popular than ever.