China to give visa-free entry to Hainan to tourists from 59 countries from May 1

China will give visa free entry to tourists from 59 nations to its southern island province of Hainan from May 1, but countries from South, South East Asia and Africa do not figure in the list.

Under the new policy, announced today, a group of or individual tourists from 59 countries, including Russia, Britain, France, Germany, US and mostly European, Latin American and Gulf countries, can visit Hainan visa-free and stay there for up to 30 days on condition that they book their tour through travel agencies.

The province will offer greater visa-free access for tourists from 59 countries from May 1, in a move to support reform and opening up in the country's southernmost island province, China's State Immigration Administration announced.

Hainan is located in the South China Sea coast.

"By extending the policy to individuals and the stay to up to 30 days, the government aims to attract more international tourists, nurture the tourism industry and meet the needs of foreign individuals," said Qu Yunhai, Vice Head of the Administration.

The eased visa-free access to Hainan is part of China's effort to build the province into "a free trade port with Chinese characteristics", the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The island has become a famous tropical resort for overseas tourists in recent years, with the number of overseas tourists exceeding 1.1 million in 2017, up nearly 50 per cent year on year.

China had earlier announced that it would allow Hainan to develop horse racing and explore opening new types of lotteries connected to sports and international competitions.