Hainan Island is quickly becoming one of south China's most popular tourist destinations in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami disaster.

And with the nation-wide weeklong Spring Festival holiday soon to arrive, tour prices are skyrocketing.

Industry insiders attribute this to the devastating tsunamis that struck many South East Asian nations.

Du Hui is from a domestic travel agency and tells us about the boom in Hainan's tourism sector:

"Recently, we have two tourist groups setting off every week. And every group contains more than 200 travelers. We've reserved tickets for the coming festival, and are now busy offering consulting service to many people," Du said. 

In major Chinese cities, the cost of a Hainan tour by plane is basically double the low season price. Some hotel rooms with a view of the sea have gone from 1,500 to well over 4,000 yuan, or US$500 a night.

A five star tour from the eastern province of Zhejiang to the island has been priced at about 7,200 yuan, or US$900. The regular price for the same tour is about 3,000 yuan, or US$360.

Additionally, since the completion of the rail link between Guangdong and Hainan, many tourists are choosing to travel by train, which can chop 30 percent off the cost of arriving by plane.

(Shenzhen Daily January 24, 2005)