BEIJING - The country's media missed important questions while reporting on Hainan's effort to build itself into a top international tourist resort, said senior scholar Chi Fulin.

Instead of wallowing in criticism or jumping on hype about the island's skyrocketing real estate prices and tourism incentives like lotteries and duty-free shopping, the media could have grilled officials about long-term development issues and pushed for concrete measures, Chi told China Daily.

Chi, president of the Hainan-based China Institute for Reform and Development, said he has found few serious discussions in the media since the State Council unveiled guidelines to turn Hainan into a premier international tourist destination in 10 years.