Tropical treat for the winter

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Cui Chenxing, general manager of the Hainan Koryo Holiday Travel Agency, says the agency is working with South Korean airlines to run four chartered flights per week from Seoul, Busan and Daegu to Hainan for groups and independent travelers, and it will increase the charters to six in November and 14 in December.

She says it takes about four and a half hours by air from South Korea to Hainan, and that the agency's tours typically run for four to five days.

The average cost of an air ticket and accommodation is between 5,000 ($739) and 8,000 yuan per person, depending on the hotel, she says.

"About half our customers are families that often choose to stay in a five-star hotel.

"Visitors also travel to Hainan for leisure activities such as to play golf in the winter, and they like destinations like Haikou, which have numerous hotels."

Speaking about how the island has changed in the last few years, she says many international hotels have come up in Hainan, and that the hygiene standards and public infrastructure on the island have also improved.

As for what foreign visitors like and what they can expect in Hainan, Zhou says: "Foreign tourists love ocean-related activities such as fishing and surfing. But we hope they can travel to the rural areas as well, and experience cycling along roads lined with coconut trees. We also hope they can savor ethnic cultures and food."

Zhou says that the peak season for Hainan is just ahead as people tend to visit to avoid harsher winter in northern China, for instance.

The annual Hainan Carnival will be held from Nov 26 and Dec 31, with plenty of events for tourists such as a music festival, a fireworks show on New Year's Eve and a food fair.