Mission Hills plans huge Hainan tourism developments

Luxury golf club operator Mission Hills is planning to develop a major new integrated golf resort on China’s resort island, Hainan.

Late next year, the company will embark on a new joint-venture hotel, shopping and entertainment complex with Hong Kong-based company, the Lan Kwai Fong Group. Housing at least 300 high-end shops, Ritz-Carlton and Renaissance hotels, an ice-skating rink, ten-pin bowling facility, as well as the Mission Hills golf course, the Mission Hills Lan Kwai Fong Haikou is set to become a huge new attraction for the island.

Mission Hills’ Blackstone Course, near Haikou

Other partners involved in the project include US bowling alley operator the Brunswick Group, international ice-skating company Ice Castle International, Japan’s eXcape Entertainment Group and Chinese-language film company Orange Sky Golden Harvest Entertainment.

“Each of the four business partners is a leader in its own field. This collaboration presents a win-win for each party,” commented Mission Hills’ Chairman & CEO, Dr Ken Chu.

Prior to that, in October this year Mission Hills will also start building a 570-hectare ‘movie town’ in conjunction with Chinese film production company, Huayi Brothers.

The US$158 million complex, which is set to open in early 2014, will feature settings from movies made by Feng Xiao Gang, who is considered the “Father of Chinese New Year films”. The town will also feature numerous restaurants, retail outlets, a cinema and hotel facilities.

The new developments will follow the recent launch of the Mission Hills Spa & Mineral Springs – a huge complex featuring 10 golf courses, a 518-room resort hotel and a water park.

The company said the developments form “part of a drive to grow golf and leisure tourism to the resort and to Hainan Island”.

The Chinese government is seeking to drive tourism development in Hainan, and recently gave the island province visa-free status for foreign groups entering and exit through Hong Kong.