HAIKOU, Dec. 2 -- South China's island province of Hainan recorded 6.23 million duty-free shoppers in the first 11 months of this year, surging by 59.6 percent year on year, said the Haikou Customs.

During the period, the shoppers bought offshore duty-free products worth 40.7 billion yuan (about 5.7 billion U.S. dollars), up 26.1 percent year on year. Meanwhile, a total of nearly 48 million duty-free products were sold, up 4.5 percent, the customs said.

China released a master plan in June 2020 to build Hainan into a globally influential and high-level free-trade port by the middle of the century. Over recent years, the island province has become an attractive shopping destination for domestic consumers.

Following years of efforts to enhance the local tourism and shopping sector, Hainan now boasts 12 offshore duty-free shops.