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On March 25, 2025, the Haikou Tourism Promotion Conference, hosted by the Haikou Municipal Bureau of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television, and Sports, was grandly held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, attracting widespread attention. Themed "Go to Haikou Immediately," the event showcased Haikou’s unique tourism and cultural resources, deepened the friendship between China and Malaysia, and explored new opportunities for future cultural and tourism industry cooperation. More than 100 guests attended, including representatives from the Tourism Malaysia, the SME Association of Malaysia, the Malaysia-China Folklore Culture Tourism Association, The Federation Of Hainan Association Malaysia, The Selangor & Federal Territory Hainan Association, industry-related associations, airline agents, travel business representatives, and media personnel. Tourism Malaysia Deputy Director-General, Lee Thai Hung attended the conference and delivered a speech.
Currently, the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port is taking shape, becoming a new highland for China’s reform and opening up as well as a hot spot for investment and business development. Haikou is accelerating the construction of the core leading area of the Hainan Free Trade Port, focusing on creating a free, open, and convenient city; an innovation-driven city integrating industry and education; a dynamic fashion consumption city; a green, low-carbon ecological city; a livable and happy city for all ages; and a culturally charming island city that preserves and promotes heritage.
During the event, an opening creative video titled "Travel with the Laobacha(Old Dad Tea) Tourist Bus" introduced guests to Haikou’s rich tourism attractions and deep cultural heritage, fully preparing to welcome visitors from all over the world.
At the promotion conference, Haikou Promotion Referer Chen Yanan highlighted the unique advantages of the Hainan Free Trade Port, including the visa-free entry policy for citizens of 59 countries and must-visit travel spots in Haikou. Xi Zhiqiang, a heritage practitioner of the historic brand Shangnantang, used Haikou’s "Nanyang culture" as a bridge and "the past and present of Qilou architecture" as a narrative thread to illustrate the cultural integration and symbiosis between the two regions.
Malaysian industry representatives at the event expressed that they gained a new understanding of Haikou through this event. The promotion conference is expected to further strengthen tourism cooperation between the two regions and promote their mutual development.
This promotion event not only vividly showcased Haikou’s rich tourism resources and profound cultural heritage but also leveraged overseas Chinese cultural resources and the historical links with Nanyang to build an emotional and cultural bridge between "Haikou flavors" and "Nanyang nostalgia." With joint efforts from both sides, Malaysian business associations, Hainanese businesspeople in Malaysia, and Malaysian travel agencies have expressed their willingness to organize Malaysian enterprises and overseas Chinese to visit Haikou for ancestral roots tracing, business investment, and collaborative development of the Free Trade Port. More and more tourists will set foot on Haikou’s beautiful land and experience the endless charm of its coastal tourism culture firsthand.
During their stay in Malaysia, the Haikou tourism promotion delegation facilitated the establishment of a sister street relationship between Haikou’s Qilou Old Street and Malacca’s Jonker Street. In the future, both sides will collaborate in cultural exchange, heritage protection, tourism development, and more. Additionally, Malacca’s dragon boat team was invited to participate in the 2025 "Haikou Cup" International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament.
Furthermore, the delegation met with representatives from the Tourism Melaka, the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce Malacca Branch, the Jonker Walk Committee Office of Malacca’s Historic City, the Zheng He Duo Yun Xuan Art Gallery (organizer of the Malacca Dragon Boat Race), the Encore Malacca(Theatre), Yong Tai Berhad, the Tourism Malaysia, The Federation Of Hainan Association Malaysia, esports team TEAM REY, Ancient Galaxy Esports, and ESI. These meetings injected new momentum into Haikou’s investment promotion and cultural tourism industry development, fostering innovation, enriching consumption scenarios, and unlocking the potential in culture, tourism, and sports-related consumption.
