HAIKOU, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Visits by overseas tourists to China's southernmost island province of Hainan reached about 1.1 million in the first 11 months of the year, up 12.6 percent year on year, local authorities said Sunday.

The number is equivalent to last year's total, the historical high, according to the provincial tourism department.

The visits generated revenues of around 680 million U.S. dollars during the period, a year-on-year growth of 10.8 percent.

To facilitate inbound visitors, Hainan launched 26 new international air routes this year, raising its total to 74. The province aims to operate 100 international routes by 2020.

Earlier this year, Hainan started to offer greater visa-free access for inbound tourists from 59 countries, allowing them to travel visa-free if they start or transit in countries and regions with direct flights to Hainan.

The province aims to attract two million overseas tourists by 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 25 percent between 2018 and 2020, according to a three-year action plan released in June.