Duty-free complex welcomes cats and dogs in Hainan

The initiative reflects China's growing pet economy. The 2025 China Pet Industry White Paper, released by the Paidu Pet Industry Big Data Platform, shows dog-related consumption rose 4.6 percent year-over-year to 155.7 billion yuan ($21.7 billion) in 2024, while cat-related spending grew faster at 10.7 percent, reaching 144.5 billion yuan. Statistics from the iiMedia Research project China's pet economy could balloon to 1.15 trillion yuan by 2028, fueled by rising incomes and the growing trend of humanizing pets among millennials and Gen Z consumers.