In Haikou, China, known as "China's Hawaii", Hainan has the potential to become a top tourist destination with its tropical climate and pristine beaches. After a period of economic struggle, the island is now on track to fulfill this ambition. The construction of the Haikou Master hotel and serviced apartments, the tallest building in Hainan province, is almost complete and represents the island's recovery efforts. Real estate agent Hong Weibin mentioned that sales are doing well, showcasing the island's progress. Almost all of the 16 million square meters (172.2 million square feet) of unfinished construction from the crash has either been completed or demolished, and investors are now returning to Hainan. The previous unrestricted development approach has been replaced with a strong focus on transforming the tropical island in southwest China into a tourist destination that can compete with Thailand's beach resorts. Numerous top resorts are being opened, with plans to enhance the visa exemption scheme, establish duty-free shops, upgrade infrastructure, construct airports, increase air connections, and encourage foreign language education. Vice governor Chen Cheng stated last month that tourism is the industry in Hainan with the most distinctive characteristics, potential, and competitiveness, while unveiling a strategic plan for development. Ian Zheng, Managing Director of the Pacific Alliance Asia Opportunity Fund, expressed that he finds the investment in Hainan's main airports and a Beijing property firm to be very attractive and does not anticipate any significant risks. He believes that even if international tourists are not immediately drawn to the island's beautiful coast, the growing number of domestic tourists will support the industry. The resorts in Hainan are banking on the vast Chinese market, as millions of people in China have experienced economic growth and are adopting Western lifestyles. Peter Pedersen, general manager of the Banyan Tree Sanya, mentioned estimates suggesting that there will be 450 million middle class Chinese in the next 10 years. "I believe that Sanya has great potential." The recent opening of luxury resorts by renowned hotel operators like Ritz-Carlton and Banyan Tree in Sanya, where the island's top beach resort is located, indicates a significant shift for Hainan. Previously known in China mainly for budget package tours, Sanya is now being recognized as a new tropical destination in Asia, with Pedersen stating that it is the only tropical island in China. "It is increasingly sought after by both the local market and international tourists. It is an ideal location," he remarked while standing on top of one of the resort's private pool villas, which are priced at around 5,000 yuan per night. Hainan, after becoming the country's youngest and most economically free province in 1988, became a testing ground for development. Its economy boomed to the extent that officials even attempted to sell the city's main park to developers in a hasty manner. Despite the growth of other coastal provinces, Hainan struggled. Now, Hainan appears to be on the path to recovery, but analysts and investors caution that imbalances and conflicts could hinder the island's resurgence. In Haikou, the capital city, around 60 percent of new apartments are being purchased as second homes by non-residents of Hainan, a situation that Mayor Xu Tangxian recognizes as a problem. Xu mentioned in an interview that there are areas where all the homes have been sold, but remain unoccupied at night. Despite the fact that most tourists to Hainan are Chinese nationals from the mainland, with 18 million visitors last year compared to just 750,000 from overseas, the government is making efforts to attract wealthy foreigners in order to enhance the island's reputation and economy. The provincial tourism bureau chief, Zhang Qi, stated last month that the objective is to attract 20 renowned international hotel management companies within five years and increase the number of five-star, international-standard resorts to 60 or more. In the midst of developers eagerly anticipating the tourism boom, reports of typical misconduct are beginning to surface. In the rural township of Longqiao, located around a 40-minute drive from Haikou, the reddish-brown soil is being plowed in large, wide sections on the gentle hills, resembling fairways for a golf course. Residents claim that government officials persuaded them to sell their land for the development of a golf course. In early April, anger erupted among the locals when a rumor spread that the government had sold the land to the golf course developer for a significantly higher price than what they were paid. This led to a violent outburst, with an enraged mob overturning a police car. Subsequently, when a group gathered in a nearby schoolyard, witnesses reported that police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. In Sanya, a town in the south, some people believe that bottlenecks and corruption are beginning to have a negative impact. A Western investor mentioned that he was facing difficulties in starting a project because of extreme corruption. He explained that the process of obtaining permits was taking much longer than anticipated. However, despite these challenges, there is still strong optimism about the potential of Hainan's natural beauty for tourism. The belief is that the issues in Sanya are just the beginning of larger problems. The island of Hainan remains quite large, with beaches stretching almost all the way to the capital Haikou. Banyan Tree Sanya's Pedersen mentioned that the island has a diameter of 350 km, emphasizing the limitless possibilities.