Foreign tourists play beach volleyball in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province. Photo: VCG   

China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) announced on Wednesday that starting August 1, South China's Hainan Province would lower its bar for issuing temporary driving permits to foreign visitors, and extend their validity from the three months up to one year, as part of the island's efforts to develop its tourism and attract talents from around the world to assist the construction of the free trade port.

Wang Qiang, deputy director of the Traffic Management Bureau at the MPS, made the announcement during a press conference on Wednesday in Beijing.  

Applications for driving permit for foreigners can be booked online, and service stations will also be available at Hainan's airports and ports. 

Around 447,000 foreign tourists traveled to Hainan visa-free between May 2018 and the end of June 2019, up 18.8 percent year-on-year, generating $767 million tourist revenues, an increase of 12.7 percent, according to data released at the press conference. 

Foreigners eligible for visa-free access to Hainan will be able to register for travel on their own or through an invitation from a local business, Qu Yunhai, deputy director of the State Immigration Administration, announced at the event. 

The visa-free policy issued in 2018 stipulated that foreign visitors should register their tour through a travel agency in Hainan.

Qu also said the policy will be further eased to include trips by foreigners traveling for trade, business, visiting relatives, medical care, conferences and sporting events. He did not specify when the new policy would be implemented. 

Tourists travelling by cruise ship can stay for 15 days without a visa, while people travelling by yacht between assigned ports can skip exit-entry procedures, Qu also said.   

Foreigners who work in Hainan will receive residence permits valid for the duration of their work contracts, said Jia Tongbin, an official with the State Immigration Administration in charge of managing foreigners at the conference. 

International students with a Master's degree and above can apply for a two-year residence permit if they start a business in the province, Jia said.  

Foreign students from overseas colleges can work as an intern in Hainan after applying for visas, which requires an invitation from their workplace and a recommendation letter from their schools, Jia added. 

Easing visa and residence policies will bring more tourists and talents to Hainan, Qu said.