South China's tourist island province of Hainan is to build the world's largest duty free shop (DFS), said provincial authorities Wednesday.
Â
Hainan plans to relocate an existing DFS downtown in the resort city of Sanya, in a 60,000-square-meter complex at Haitang Bay, said the vice governor Tan Li at a Boao Forum for Asia press conference in Hainan. Sanya's current DFS is only about 10,000 square meters.
Â
The Sanya Haitang Bay International Shopping Mall will attract international brands and fashion labels and combine duty-free shopping with hotels, restaurants and entertainment.
Â
Hainan also plans to expand and transform another DFS in the provincial capital of Haikou from 3,650 to 4,880 square meters.
Â
The State Council, China's cabinet, gave Hainan permission to run a duty-free program on a trial basis in April 2011 to promote the province as an international tourist destination.
Â
Offshore duty-free shopping in Hainan's two DFS stores in 2013, hit 3.29 billion CNY (530.6 million USD), up 40 percent year on year.Â