The 2026 Hainan International Language Service Industry and Talent Development Forum convened Thursday in Sanya, Hainan province, drawing about 150 participants, including guests from Russia, Uzbekistan, France and Japan.

The event, themed "Language Services Empowering Cultural Tourism Consumption and International Language Environment Development", comes following Hainan's launch of island-wide special customs operations, a shift expected to further boost inbound tourism. Nie Jing, deputy general manager of Hainan Tourism Investment Group, said visa-free policies have fueled rising visitor numbers, elevating language services from a supporting role to core "soft infrastructure" for the Hainan Free Trade Port's business environment.