Duty-free sales on Hainan island surged in July. (Reuters photo)Duty-free sales on China's island province of Hainan surged in the first week of July after Beijing raised the annual tax-free shopping limit for tourists as part of its new free-trade port plan. Cosmetics were the most popular duty free purchase, accounting for 51.3% of total duty-free sales, followed by jewellery with 14.1% and watches with 11.9%. Last year, shoppers made a total of 3.84 million purchases worth 13.61 billion yuan at Hainan's duty-free malls. Competitive prices also appear to be helping Hainan, particularly when compared to Hong Kong, once one of the top destinations for Chinese tourists to shop.

Source: Bangkok Post July 15, 2020 06:11 UTC