In China’s Hainan Free Trade Port, two world-class tourist highways are redefining the self-driving travel experience. The 988-km Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway and the 466-km Tropical Rainforest National Park Tourist Highway form a “mountain-sea dual loop” system, connecting coconut-fringed coastlines with lush rainforest retreats. Coupled with facilitation policies such as temporary driver’s permits for overseas visitors, Hainan is emerging as a premier destination for road trip enthusiasts from around the globe.
As a landmark project of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the Coastal Scenic Highway runs through 12 coastal cities and counties, linking 84 distinctive landscape sections and 68 bays into a brilliant “pearl necklace.” Along the windmill coast of the Mulan Bay in Wenchang, white wind turbines contrast beautifully with the azure sea. On the cliffside section of Shanqin Bay in Wanning, visitors can overlook the turquoise waters and rugged rocks. At the volcanic coast of Eman in Danzhou, black reefs and silver sands create a unique natural landscape. The highway is also equipped with 50 viewing platforms, 35 new energy charging stations, and four themed service areas, offering travelers resting, dining, and cultural experiences along the way.
Complementing the coastal route, the Tropical Rainforest National Park Tourist Highway winds through central and southern Hainan, passing through nine cities and counties and linking core tropical rainforest areas such as Wuzhishan, Limu Mountain, and Jianfeng Ridge. This “green ribbon” is enveloped in lush vegetation and rich ecotourism resources. Along the way, visitors can immerse themselves in ethnic traditions, such as Li brocade, Li pottery, and bamboo dance, and savor local specialties such as bamboo rice, large-leaf rainforest tea, and coffee. The route offers a captivating blend of pristine natural landscapes and vibrant ethnic culture, delivering a self-driving experience entirely different from the coastal tour.
To facilitate in-depth exploration by inbound travelers, Hainan has introduced a streamlined policy for temporary driver’s permits. Inbound travelers can apply for a temporary driver’s license at traffic management service centers in 18 cities and counties, or pre-apply online via the Hainan Temporary Entry Driver Management System (http://hnslsjs.cn/), using their passport and home driver’s license (non-Chinese licenses must be accompanied by a translation). The process requires no medical examination and is simple and user-friendly. The permit is valid for three months for short-term visitors and can be extended to one year for long-term stays, covering all self-driving needs across the island. Together with the visa-free entry policy for citizens of 86 countries, inbound travelers can easily “rent a car upon arrival and drive both loops.”
An official from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television, and Sports of Hainan Province stated that the goal is not only to build scenic driving routes but also to establish an international self-driving service system. A series of facilitation measures—visa-free entry, temporary driver’s permits, multilingual services, and foreign card payment acceptance—are designed to enable inbound travelers to enjoy a “spontaneous and hassle-free” self-driving experience in Hainan.
Last month, the provincial tourism department announced a partnership with the online travel platform Ctrip to launch a flight voucher program totaling $730,000. Travelers can participate by logging into the “Flights” channel on the Ctrip app main page before August 30 this year and booking designated round-trip flights operated by specific airlines from non-mainland cities directly to Hainan’s two major cities, Haikou and Sanya.
Since the Hainan Free Trade Port initiated its special customs operations on December 18 last year, the province has witnessed explosive growth in inbound tourism. From January to May this year, Hainan received over 848,000 inbound visitors, a year-on-year increase of 51.6%.
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