Virtual Travel Retail Expo
Hainan IEDB looks to blockbuster Expo event in April 2022
Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development Director General Han Shengjian exclusively announced 12-16 April as the dates for next year’s high-profile China International Consumer Products Expo at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo. He also shared highlights from last year’s Expo and reviewed the latest market developments from Hainan in an excellent presentation, which served to underline the burgeoning opportunities for the travel retail industry on the Chinese island. Mark Lane reports.
The Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development (Hainan IEDB) exclusively revealed the dates for next year’s China International Consumer Products Expo to a Knowledge Hub audience on day one of the Virtual Travel Retail Expo.
During a presentation, the organisation’s Director General Han Shengjian confirmed the dates for the event, which will be staged in the island capital Haikou at the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center from 12-16 April 2022.
Organised against the exceptionally difficult backdrop of a global pandemic, the inaugural Expo held at the same venue in May this year was a huge success. More than 1,500 companies representing 2,600 brands from 70 countries and regions exhibited.
“We welcome you to participate in the second Hainan Expo to bring more high-quality products to China, and of course to sell here in Hainan Free Trade Port. We hope to see all of you at the second China International Consumer Products Expo from April 12 to 16 next year”
Hainan IEDB Director General Han Shengjian
The event’s four days pulled in a remarkable 240,000+ visitors, including more than 30,000 buyers and other professional delegates. The China International Consumer Products Expo – which features a full spectrum of luxury and other brands – is now the largest premium products expo in the Asia Pacific region.
Han said: “We had the great honour to have the top professional buyers from all over the world, including all of the duty free operators in China. The first Expo has received a lot of attention from both domestic and international media and a lot of international brands released new products here [93 product debut events were staged -Ed].
“We welcome you to participate in the second Hainan Expo to bring more high-quality products to China, and of course to sell down here in Hainan Free Trade Port. We hope to see all of you at the second China International Consumer Products Expo from 12-16 April next year.”
During his presentation, Han highlighted Hainan’s position as a key enabler of ‘dual circulation’ in China. He said: “We are not only creating a business opportunity for the domestic industry, but also and more importantly, we are creating business and market opportunities for all international brands and businesses.
“With the Hainan Free Trade Port, we are at the new intersection point of dual circulation. We are connecting the 1.4 billion Chinese market to the rest of the world.”
Han also discussed the laws to instigate an attractive tax regime for both individuals and companies that have been passed by the central Chinese government for the Hainan Free Trade Port. They were promulgated on 10 June 2021.
These, he noted, are the only central level laws formulated for a particular Chinese region, aside from the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions (SARs). “They provide long-term, stable and sustainable legal protection for global investors,” Han said.
This year's China International Consumer Products Expo saw a remarkable attendance level, especially in the context of a global pandemic
Underlining Hainan’s continuing rise and credentials, Han noted that the island’s GDP growth so far in 2021 ranks at number two in China, second only to Hubei province. He also pointed to “double growth” in four key areas last year, namely talent inflow, new market entities, foreign capital inflow and duty free sales.
Looking ahead to upcoming developments and opportunities on Hainan, Han turned the spotlight on key projects in Haikou, Haitang Bay and China Duty Free Group’s Haikou International Duty Free City, which opens next year. He also highlighted the building of a 998-kilometre road around the island to improve connectivity to the various attractions of Hainan for tourists.
Han said: “We are speeding up the process of international tourism and developing as a consumption centre to build Hainan into a global premium goods and duty free commodity shopping paradise.”
He concluded: “At Hainan IEDB, we are ready to provide you one-stop service – we will run for your business.”
*Hainan IEDB was co-organiser of the Virtual Travel Retail Expo (alongside The Moodie Davitt Report and FILTR.QINGWA) and also hosted the Hainan Discovery Zone.
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The Moodie Davitt eZine Issue 302 | 22 October 2021
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