Travel expenses in southern China's Hainan Province are rising again with the coming New Year. However, according to some insiders, the 31% rise is just the same as last year.

 

Among all costs for travel, hotel prices jumped most. The room prices for four-star hotels and above have increased nearly 60 percent, especially those in famous tourist resorts like Yalong Bay and Da Dong Hai. The price for a standard twin room in the Sheraton Sanya, a five-star hotel, has jumped from RMB 1,030 to RMB 1,780.

 

According to the price monitoring system in Hainan, the price for a three-day round the island package trip has increased from RMB 450 to RMB 550, not including airline tickets.

 

Although the price is rising, the market is mild. As tourists are getting rational, lots of people are inclined to avoid holiday travel peaks, and some people choose to travel without tourist companies. Also, affected by other travel routes, like those to Guangdong, Guangxi or Hong Kong, analysts believe the New Year's holiday won't be too big a boost to Hainan's tourism market.

 

(CRI December 27, 2006)