Feng Fei, Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, met with Drew Richardson, President and CEO of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), and his delegation on June 5 in Haikou.

Feng Fei welcomed the PADI delegation to Hainan and introduced the open and preferential policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP). He stated that Hainan is actively building an eco-civilization pilot zone as well as an international tourism and consumption center. With its unique ecological advantages, the province is promoting the development of diving and other distinctive marine tourism activities. He expressed a desire to deepen cooperation with PADI in eco-diving and related fields. He emphasized that, while ensuring marine ecological protection, Hainan hopes to adopt international practices, bring in global management standards, and enhance both safety oversight and service quality. These efforts, he said, are intended to enhance Hainan’s attractiveness to international tourists and advance the high-quality development of the eco-diving sector.

Richardson commended Hainan’s progress in ecological conservation. He noted that PADI places strong emphasis on protecting the marine environment and always putting divers’ safety first. He added that PADI’s vision for cooperation closely aligns with Hainan’s goals. With Hainan’s rich natural resources and strong potential for eco-diving tourism, Richardson expressed hope for greater synergy between both sides, deeper collaboration, and joint efforts to promote industry standardization, attract more international visitors, and create a global benchmark for eco-diving tourism in China.

Provincial officials Ni Qiang and Xie Jing attended the meeting.