Hainan aims to be China's golf capital

HAIKOU, March 18 (Xinhua) -- South China's Hainan Province aims to become China's golf capital and one of the world's major tourist destinations for golf players and enthusiasts, officials said Thursday at a seminar of 2010 Boao International Tourism Forum.

(Photo Source: sina.com)

"China encourages well-planned environment-friendly development of golf tourism, especially in Hainan, the country's only tropical island province," said Du Jiang, deputy head of the National Tourism Administration.

China's golf tourism industry is still in the beginning stage and has huge potential, Du added, addressing an audience of more than 500 entrepreneurs and experts on golf tourism in a conference hall of Mission Hills Hainan, the largest collection of golf courses in the world.

Du's words came after the State Council approved a plan to build Hainan into an "international tourism island," supporting the island to develop its golf tourism, on Jan. 4.

The inclusion of golf into the Olympics in 2016 boosted the development of the game in China and the world. "The biggest grow-the-game opportunity is Olympic golf,” said Peter Dawson, secretary of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A), golf's worldwide governing body.

"We will strive to make achievements in the new Olympic categories, particularly golf," said Xiao Tian, deputy head of China's General Administration of Sport.