HAINAN, CHINA. Haikou Meilan International Airport has launched a large-scale summer campaign timed for the peak family travel season.
Sino-Singapore (Hainan) Airport Commercial Management Co, which manages the airport’s commercial operations, has teamed up with in-terminal merchants and cultural tourism enterprises in Hainan. The partnerships allow it to offer array of exclusive discounts, hotel partnerships, cultural activities and interactive elements.
Formally launched in January 2025, the company is a joint venture between Haikou Meilan International Airport (HNA Holdings) and Changi Airports International. It holds exclusive rights to oversee retail, food & beverage, advertising, leisure and commercially important-person services at the Hainan capital’s gateway for ten years.
Haikou Meilan International Airport said the goal of the seasonal campaign is to transform it from a mere transit point to a travel highlight for passengers. It also aims to redefine airport retail through upgraded spaces and offerings and cultural-tourism integration.
From waiting areas to experience zones
As summer traffic surges, the airport has converted three waiting areas in Terminals 1 and 2 into interactive zones. Aviation-themed gaming installations allow children to play while waiting to board, noticeably easing parental anxiety and burden.
In addition, the campaign also offers over 20 exclusive benefits for departing passengers, ranging from duty-free shopping to dining and entertainment. Travellers spending RMB 666 (US$98) cumulatively in a day receive a special gift.
‘First store’ economy fuels retail vitality
Haikou Meilan International Airport has welcomed a slew of debut openings this year. Highlights include Dutch brand Studio Pets’s first China store, Luckin Coffee’s first two-storey flagship store in Hainan and local restaurant Xixi Dim Sum’s debut airport location.
Robotics company Robotime’s Hainan debut and a dedicated AI interactive zone are also on the horizon.
Notably, Singaporean barbeque meat specialist Bee Cheng Hiang opened its first Haikou concept store at Meilan Airport in June. Since then, its signature snacks such as freshly baked toast and jerky pastries have become fast favorites and gone viral online.
“Meilan Airport is the key gateway of Hainan Free Trade Port. Setting up a ‘first’ store here not only helps build brand awareness quickly but also serves as a strategic bridge for market expansion,” said Bee Cheng Hiang Shenzhen General Manager Wu Chunmei.
Thematic zoning and cultural-tourism integration
This year, the airport moved away from piecemeal leasing to a themed-zoning approach. T2’s Central Street, now with optimised traffic flow and integrated storefronts, has welcomed seven new dining brands including Nayuki, KFC and Bing Ge Pea Noodle. It now offers a diverse mix of fast food, tea drinks and local snacks.
A Sino-Singapore (Hainan) Airport Commercial Management Co representative said duty-paid store occupancy rates are rising year by year, adding: “We’re not just adding supply. We’re curating brand mixes and spatial design to turn passive waiting into active consumption, which could become a new growth driver for non-aeronautical revenue.”
Meanwhile, the airport is actively embracing its role as a showcase for Hainan’s cultural and natural allure.
Inside T1, the ‘Deep Blue Treasure’ special exhibition from the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea occupies a prime location. It offers exhibits and special merchandise seamlessly integrated into the space.
The airport has also partnered with Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and Botanical Garden and the cdf Haikou Meilan Airport store to launch special travel packages during the summer. Arriving visitors can discover natural attractions through exclusive offers and receive recommendations before even leaving the airport terminal.
The garden has seen a notable increase in international visitors from Central Asia and Russia — evidence of its amplifying role as a cultural tourism ambassador.
Sino-Singapore (Hainan) Airport Commercial Management Co has a year-round marketing engine, that blends seasonal campaigns, cultural-tourism partnerships, merchant deals and payment subsidies. According to the company, this dynamic programme has turned the airport into an important lever for the city economy, boosting both tourism appeal and capacity.
The model offers a replicable blueprint for ‘aviation + tourism’ integration, anchored in localised content and high-quality service, it added.
“With summer peak demand still rising, we will continue to strengthen signature IPs, deepen cross-sector synergies, and unlock the long-term growth potential of the cultural-tourism sector,” the company concluded. 🏝️
