From Inaugural Flight to Listing: German Eagle Air Becomes Sanya Tourism’s “European Partner”

✈️From “Air Corridors” to “Local Promoters”

Sanya’s European Friends Circle Upgrades Again

On March 3, 2026, Sanya made a strong impression at the ITB Berlin International Tourism Trade Fair.

At the Eagle Air booth, Sanya hosted a special ceremony. Huang Xing, Party Secretary and Director of the Sanya Municipal Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television, and Sports Bureau, and Party Secretary of the Sanya Tourism Development Bureau, jointly unveiled a plaque with Mr. Peter Gerber, CEO of Eagle Air, announcing the official establishment of the first “Sanya Tourism Overseas Promotion (Germany) Liaison Office” at Eagle Air in Germany.

This marks not only an innovative move by Sanya to extend its tourism marketing reach directly into the heart of Europe, but also signifies that Sanya and Germany’s largest leisure airline have progressed from “route connectivity” to “walking side by side.”

✈️From “Flying In” to “Pushing Out”:
An Old Friend’s New Identity

If you’ve been following Sanya’s breakthroughs in international air routes over the past year, the name “Shenying Airlines” will surely ring a bell.

Rewind to March 4, 2025, at the same ITB Berlin venue. The Sanya Tourism Development Bureau, Sanya Phoenix International Airport, and Shenying Airlines solemnly signed a memorandum of cooperation, pledging to jointly advance the launch of European routes.

Just over four months later, this agreement became a reality. On July 27, 2025, an Airbus A330 operated by Eagle Air touched down smoothly at Sanya Phoenix International Airport, marking the successful inaugural flight of the Frankfurt-Bangkok-Sanya fifth freedom route. This marks Hainan Free Trade Port’s first scheduled passenger route to Europe under fifth freedom rights. Functioning as a “tropical air corridor,” it establishes the first direct connection between Sanya and a core Western European aviation hub.

Today, Shenyang Airlines has undergone another identity upgrade. Transitioning from a “carrier” to an “ambassador,” the airline’s offices in Frankfurt and across Germany will permanently incorporate the “Sanya DNA.” As Germany’s largest leisure airline, Shenyang Airlines will leverage its European route network, sales channels, and customer resources to become Sanya tourism’s most powerful local advocate.

✈️Why Shenying?
The “Fission Effect” of a Single Route

Looking back on this year’s collaboration, we see not only the launch of a new route, but also Sanya’s determination to tap into Europe’s high-end vacation market by leveraging the tailwind of its free trade port policies.

In the past, European tourists wishing to visit Sanya often faced the hassle of cumbersome layovers. The launch of the Frankfurt-Bangkok-Sanya route, leveraging fifth freedom rights, has enabled “one flight to three countries”: not only does it bring Sanya’s sunshine to German tourists, but its stopover in Bangkok also connects Southeast Asian travelers with Sanya, establishing an efficient Asia-Europe tourism transit hub.

Data indicates that by 2025, Sanya’s inbound tourism market will see significant growth from the European market, with visitor numbers from Germany increasing by 20% year-on-year. This achievement stems from the combined efforts of new route launches and destination promotion. Establishing the first overseas promotion liaison office at Air China Express is akin to installing a perpetual Sanya promotion engine at the very heart of Europe’s aviation network.

✈️The deeper meaning behind the designation:
Sanya seeks not just tourists, but “depth.”

At the plaque presentation ceremony, Mr. Peter Gebauer received not merely a plaque, but a “vote of confidence” extended by Sanya to the European market.

For Sunwing Airlines, operating the Sanya route represents more than just adding a new destination—it aligns with its strategic focus on the leisure and vacation market. Sanya’s tropical rainforests, high-quality hotel clusters, and unique Li and Miao cultures perfectly cater to European travelers’ desire for ecological and cultural experiences.

The establishment of the liaison office marks breakthroughs on three fronts:

Marketing Frontloading: Specialists handling specialized tasks. As the airline most attuned to German vacation preferences, Shenying Airlines’ recommendations for Sanya’s sailing, golfing, or rainforest trekking hold undeniable persuasive power.

Service Proximity: Soon, European travelers will learn about Sanya’s cuisine, visa-free policies, and duty-free shopping tips at the Frankfurt office—even before booking their Shenying Airlines tickets.

Confidence Reinforcement: This deep collaboration—where the airline commits aircraft while the destination invests in promotion—ensures the route flies steadier and farther.

✈️ Outlook:
Departing from Frankfurt, connecting all of Europe

Looking back from the spring of 2026, Sanya’s path toward internationalization is broadening steadily. As the policy dividends from Hainan Free Trade Port’s closed-border operation continue to unfold, the visa-free policy for 86 countries has made spontaneous travel a commonplace reality.

The establishment of this overseas promotion liaison office marks a new beginning. With Frankfurt as its fulcrum and leveraging Eagle Air’s comprehensive European route network, Sanya’s appeal will extend beyond Germany to reach more European source cities.

Routes serve as the bond, while the liaison office acts as a harbor. We hope that when our European friends seek sunshine in distant lands, Eagle Air will be their guide, and Sanya will be their first choice.

Sanya, with open arms,
Welcomes every friend who travels far.

Departing from Germany, connecting through Bangkok,
Finally arriving at the sunshine of 18 degrees north latitude—
This journey is smooth sailing all the way.