HAIKOU, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The electricity consumption growth in south China's Hainan Province ranked first among the provincial areas in the country in the first three quarters, a remarkable sign of the economic vitality of the island province.

The electricity consumption volume in Hainan surged by 16.36 percent year on year to 36.46 billion kWh during the period, according to the Hainan branch of the China Southern Power Grid.

The second and tertiary industries and the urban and rural residents' household consumption all saw double-digit growth in electricity use during the period, with the tertiary industry being the highest at 19.38 percent year on year.

The total electricity volume consumed by the tertiary industry reached 13.22 billion kWh, with the growth largely thanks to the constantly recovering tourism market, the company said.

The power use in the wholesale and retail sectors grew by 40.07 percent, while its growth rate in the hotel and catering sectors reached 21.98 percent.

China released a master plan in June 2020 to build Hainan into a globally influential and high-level free trade port by the middle of the century. Over recent years, the island province has become an attractive shopping destination for consumers.