Hainan's medical tourism zone gets a lift from two Hong Kong projects
Sincere Watch and Evergrande Real Estate separately announce plans to invest in new projects in Hainan's medical and beauty tourism pilot zone
The millions of tourists flocking to Hainan province could soon be adding a new look to their holiday souvenirs.
Two Hong Kong-listed companies - Sincere Watch (Hong Kong) and Evergrande Real Estate Group - separately announced plans last week to set up medical beauty businesses in Boao's Lecheng international medical and tourism pilot zone for tourists who want to combine their holidays with plastic surgery, Botox and other anti-ageing medical treatments.
Former Hong Kong Hospital Authority chairman Anthony Wu Ting-yuk, who was appointed co-chairman of Sincere Watch last week to handle the firm's 380 million yuan (HK$480.71 million) project, said Hong Kong's capital market and medical talent would find huge opportunities in Hainan, just a 45-minute flight away.
"Hainan has attracted over 20 millions visitors every year worldwide for its blue sky, nice beaches and good food," Wu said. "Premier Li Keqiang now wants to further develop it as a medical tourism hotspot like Switzerland, Germany, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Singapore by offering special policies in the area."
The new zone in Hainan has special policies to make it easy for Hong Kong and international companies to set up medical and beauty centres there. It will also allow companies to introduce advanced medical technology for anti-ageing, plastic surgery and other medical treatments that are not allowed in other part of the mainland.
"The idea is similar to the Shanghai free-trade zone," Wu said. "The only difference is the Shanghai one is to attract banks and brokers, and Lecheng in Hainan wants to attract doctors, nurses, beauticians, Chinese herbalists and dieticians."