Within half a month, the Global Times has featured Sanya on its front page twice.
Global Times Devotes Full Page to Sanya Again
Global Tourists Flock to Sanya for 2026 Spring Festival
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Global Tourists Gather in Sanya for 2026 Spring Festival
Experience the Festive Spirit of China and Feel the Vibrant Energy of an Open Nation
Amid azure seas and blue skies, with coconut palms swaying in the breeze, tourists from around the world bask in the winter sun and savor coastal scenery on Sanya’s Dadonghai Beach in Hainan. As the 2026 Spring Festival (February 17) approaches, Sanya welcomes a peak of international visitors. From airport arrival halls to popular beaches, from specialty street food stalls to traditional Chinese medicine clinics in alleys, foreign tourists are everywhere, their diverse languages weaving a unique melody of the New Year. This Spring Festival also marks the first since Hainan Free Trade Port implemented island-wide customs clearance operations in December 2025. With its distinctive cultural charm and premium tourism services, the open Hainan has become a top destination for global travelers to experience the Chinese New Year.
Sanya Welcomes Global Visitors
Russian tourist Kseniya Popova, holding a fresh young coconut, laughed and chatted with friends on Dadonghai Beach. Having arrived in Sanya just two days prior, she was already deeply captivated by the scenery. “The beach is so beautiful, the atmosphere here is amazing, and people are warm and friendly—I absolutely love it,” Popova said. This marks her first visit to Sanya. Seeking a warm destination to escape her hometown’s harsh winter, she was instantly drawn to Sanya’s azure seas and blue skies. She plans to stay in Sanya for two weeks, covering the entire Spring Festival holiday from February 15 to 23. Beyond visiting tourist spots, she aims to deeply experience the Chinese New Year—exploring markets, watching fireworks, and immersing herself in the most authentic festive atmosphere. Like Popova, an increasing number of foreign tourists are choosing to celebrate the Spring Festival in China, making “Celebrating the New Year in China” a new global travel trend. Data from the National Immigration Administration shows that during the 2026 Spring Festival holiday, border inspection authorities nationwide processed 17.796 million inbound and outbound travelers, averaging 1.977 million per day. Among them, 1.313 million were foreign inbound travelers, representing a 21.8% daily increase compared to last year. Visa-exempt foreign tourists totaled 460,000, with a daily average up 28.5% year-on-year. Data from Sanya Immigration Inspection Station was even more impressive, with an average daily inspection of 3,400 inbound and outbound travelers during the holiday period, a 54.9% year-on-year increase. As a must-visit destination for international tourists, Dadonghai Beach, with its crystal-clear waters and comprehensive dining and accommodation facilities, has become the top choice for visitors from many countries. On a weekday afternoon before the holiday, the beach hosted a diverse scene: Western European couples basking in the sun, Russian families splashing in the sea, and Southeast Asian youth capturing the scenery with selfie sticks. Visitors of all skin tones shared in the festive joy of the Spring Festival.
British tourist Sophie Lee booked a homestay near Dadonghai, planning a three-week stay to experience the Spring Festival atmosphere. “I heard Sanya’s Spring Festival is especially lively, with fireworks and firecrackers on the beach. I’m really looking forward to that excitement,” she said. She also learned that 2026 is the Chinese Year of the Horse, which she sees as a symbol of charging forward toward opportunities. “I hope the new year brings more surprises,” she added.
Sanya Phoenix International Airport bustles even at dawn. At 3 a.m., rows of tour buses bearing multilingual signage in Russian, English, Korean, and other languages stand quietly in the parking lot, awaiting the arrival of overnight foreign tour groups. Li Chuandong, head of a Sanya travel agency, greeted visitors in the arrivals hall with fluent Russian alongside his foreign colleagues. For weeks, he had been stationed at the airport nearly every night to receive groups.
Li Chuandong’s agency primarily serves tourists from Russian-speaking countries like Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. He noted that the company now handles an average of 700 to 800 foreign visitors daily, compared to just around 300 before the pandemic. “The continuous expansion of China’s visa-free policy has led to a significant increase in foreign tourists this year—that’s the most direct reason.”
Data from the National Immigration Administration shows China has now signed unilateral or reciprocal visa-free agreements with 77 countries. This policy not only streamlines entry but also deepens foreign visitors’ engagement with Chinese culture. Many travelers share their cultural experiences on social media, creating a virtuous cycle of “experience-share-attract” that inspires more people to visit China.
In Sanya, traditional Chinese medicine therapies have become a “must-try” experience for foreign tourists, with acupuncture and cupping clinics around Dadonghai Bay proving particularly popular. German tourist Benedikt Ratke tried cupping for the first time. Though initially nervous upon seeing related images, he declared it worthwhile after the experience: “My body felt incredibly relaxed afterward. It was an amazing wellness experience, and I still have the marks on my back.”
This cultural immersion isn’t limited to Sanya—it’s spreading across China. Beijing’s Universal Resort launched special Spring Festival celebrations, where intricate decorations and interactive games captivated international visitors. At Shanghai’s Yuyuan Garden, dazzling lanterns themed around the Year of the Horse drew foreign tourists to stop, admire, and take photos, immersing them in the unique charm of Chinese culture through traditional New Year traditions.
The safe environment and warm hospitality left an even deeper impression on foreign visitors. Popova admitted she felt no apprehension about nighttime outings in Sanya: “I went for a walk alone at 2 a.m. The streets were safe and quiet—I didn’t feel scared at all. That made me feel especially at ease.”
A New Chapter in Hainan’s Closed-Border Operation
In November 2025, while reviewing progress on Hainan Free Trade Port development, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that the strategic goal is to establish it as a key gateway for China’s new era of opening up. On December 18 of the same year, Hainan Free Trade Port officially launched island-wide customs clearance operations, marking a landmark initiative in China’s unwavering commitment to expanding high-level opening up and advancing an open world economy. According to Xinhua News Agency, the closed-border operation leverages policies such as zero tariffs, low tax rates, and a simplified tax system to facilitate the free flow of goods, capital, personnel, and data, marking a new phase in the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port. David Adrian Yank, a British entrepreneur who has lived in Hainan for many years, has keenly observed the changes brought by the free trade port’s development. He noted that in recent years, Hainan has continuously streamlined the procedures for foreigners to obtain work and residence permits, making “things much more convenient than before.” What impressed him even more was the local government’s initiative to invite foreign representatives to high-level symposiums to listen to their opinions, demands, and concerns. “This sincerity and enthusiasm truly made us feel Hainan’s openness and inclusiveness,” he remarked. As 2026 marks the opening year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, the nation continues to accelerate its pace of opening up. For this first Spring Festival during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, destinations across the country are enhancing entry services by adding international flight routes, streamlining customs clearance procedures, and upgrading border inspection support to welcome global travelers. Peng Hui, a responsible official at Sanya Phoenix Immigration Inspection Station, stated that during the 2026 Spring Festival travel season (February 2 to March 13), the station expects to inspect over 900 inbound and outbound flights and more than 140,000 passengers, representing year-on-year increases of 46.5% and 50.3%, respectively. To better serve global travelers, the Phoenix Immigration Inspection Station has introduced a series of convenience measures: establishing dedicated lanes for temporary transit entry permits, implementing online pre-screening for group visa materials, installing multilingual signage in arrival halls, and assigning police officers proficient in foreign languages to provide consultation and guidance services—all aimed at comprehensively enhancing the entry clearance experience.
From the coconut-scented shores of Sanya to the vibrant energy of Hainan, this land serves as a vivid microcosm of China’s ongoing commitment to expanding openness. As more foreign tourists visit Hainan and China, they experience the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival and the charm of Chinese culture while witnessing the steady strides of China’s high-level opening-up. As Yank remarked, “China is declaring to the world through concrete actions: We open our doors and welcome every visitor.”
Source: Global Times