Liu Simin, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said comprehensive research on development models on Hawaii’s economy and society must be done to build Hainan into an international tourism island. He was speaking at a seminar at Beijing International Studies University on developing tourism into a pillar industry and modern service industry in China.

Liu said the Mediterranean also offered a good example for Hainan, an island province off the southern coast of China. He said Hainan should focus on creating a clean, civilized and trustworthy atmosphere, urbanize rural areas and foster a harmonious relationship between locals and tourists.

He said he didn’t think health care tourism is a feasible or realistic goal for Hainan. The cost of living is high, and medical resources would compete with leisure resources. A separate health care-oriented tourism industry will need to be separate from the leisure-oriented tourism industry and concentrated in the inner part of the island, Liu said. But the medical infrastructure is still poor, while nation-wide social insurance systems have yet to be integrated.