100 Days After Reopening: From “Traffic” to “Retention”—How Has Sanya Captivated the World?
As the Hainan Free Trade Port marks its 100th day of closed-border operations, Sanya—the core area of the International Tourism and Consumption Hub—has exceeded all expectations with a set of impressive figures.
Data shows that from January to February 2026, Sanya welcomed 197,300 inbound tourists, representing a year-over-year increase of 42.97%. Meanwhile, according to statistics from Ctrip’s international platform—a key indicator of industry trends—from the start of the closed-loop operation through March 18 of this year (December 18, 2025, to March 18, 2026), the number of inbound tourists to Sanya increased by 66.3% year-over-year, while inbound tourism spending rose by 64.1%, demonstrating robust, explosive growth.
Even more encouraging is the further expansion of international flight routes: routes to Russian-speaking regions such as “Sanya–Moscow,” “Sanya–Minsk,” and “Sanya–Astana” are being gradually increased, and China’s first passenger route under the Seventh Freedom of the Air, “Sanya–Prague,” is also scheduled to increase to two weekly flights in early April. The skies have become Sanya’s busiest channel connecting it to the world.
From a destination known solely for its sun and sand to one now thriving in “people, capital, and reputation,” Sanya is undergoing a profound transformation from “traffic growth” to “retention development.”
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New Landscape
From “Single-Point Reliance” to “Diverse Co-Prosperity”
Global Precision Marketing Gains Momentum
In the past, when people thought of inbound tourism to Sanya, “Russians” was often the first thing that came to mind. Today, that visitor profile has been completely rewritten. Based solely on statistics from Ctrip’s international platform, the data reveals significant structural shifts: visitors from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan now account for 34.2% of the total, while those from North America make up approximately 20%, putting them on par with the Russian market on the platform. From January to February, the platform saw year-over-year growth in visitor numbers from traditional source markets such as Russia and Hong Kong, China, exceeding 200% and 47%, respectively. Meanwhile, Indonesia and Malaysia emerged as the two fastest-growing source markets, with visitor numbers surging by 975% and 300% year-over-year. Markets such as Singapore and Taiwan, China also performed strongly, with year-over-year growth in visitor numbers roughly doubling.
This diversified visitor landscape is not a mere coincidence but the inevitable result of targeted marketing.
This Chinese New Year, if you’re riding a bus in Hong Kong, you’re sure to be drawn to that splash of “Sanya Red”—the creative ad campaign featuring the slogan “Heading to Sanya Now, Good Luck Is Calling You” reaches over 100,000 people daily, firmly embedding Sanya in the minds of Greater Bay Area residents as a travel destination. At the same time, Sanya has partnered with Ctrip’s international platform to launch the “Go China in Sanya” promotional series. An official “Sanya Planet” section has been launched on the platforms in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and the global English-language site, offering a one-stop pre-trip service that integrates travel products, curated content, and special offers. This provides inbound tourists with a convenient “what you see is what you get” experience, driving effective conversion of tourism spending.
On social media worldwide, Sanya has become the “new darling.” The “Global Influencers Explore China” campaign, jointly launched by Ctrip and TripAdvisor, not only generated viral content but also received a retweet and a “like” from the official account of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson.
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New Reputation
From “Sightseeing” to “Immersive Experiences”
If the data reflects that “people are coming,” then positive reviews reveal “why they keep coming back.” During the Spring Festival, the positive review ratings for hotels and tourist attractions in Sanya on TripAdvisor remained consistently above 90%. Visitors no longer simply praise the blue waters; they are also amazed by the warm hospitality.
At cultural attractions such as the Sanya Thousand-Year Romance Scenic Area and the Binlang Valley Li and Miao Cultural Tourism Zone, foreign visitors can be seen everywhere engaging with multilingual performances, immersive exhibits, and interactive experiences to gain a firsthand understanding of intangible cultural heritage crafts like Li brocade and to experience the unique charm of Hainan’s ethnic minority cultures.
Duty-free shopping is evolving from a “side attraction” into a “main draw.” With the optimization of the duty-free policy for departing passengers following the closure of the border, foreign tourists pulling suitcases are now a common sight throughout Sanya International Duty-Free City.
Faster Customs Clearance: Average processing time for individual travelers has been reduced by 30 seconds;
Seamless Payments: Acceptance of international credit cards in the airport’s international arrivals hall has reached 99%;
Seamless Communication: The 12345 hotline now offers dedicated service lines in English, Korean, Russian, and Japanese.
When the natural gifts of azure seas and blue skies are combined with immersive experiences within easy reach, Sanya’s “soft power” is making international visitors truly feel “right at home.”
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A New Voice:
From “Passive Exposure” to “Active Narrative”
Breaking Through and Advancing in International Communication
Over the past three months, Sanya has made a strong impression on the international stage. But the most significant change is that Sanya has begun to take control of how its own story is told, consistently capturing the spotlight and gaining widespread attention on the global stage.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to give Sanya a shout-out: The spokesperson has repeatedly highlighted and promoted Sanya, sharing its highlights with netizens around the world.
International Media Spotlight: The BBC has turned its cameras on Sanya’s Spring Festival intangible cultural heritage experiences; the U.S. website *Travel & Tourism World* has praised Sanya’s performance during the spring break season; and Singapore’s Channel NewsAsia (CNA) has named Sanya the only Chinese city among Asia’s top beach destinations, surpassing Bali and Koh Samui.
Recognized by authoritative rankings: Ranked No. 1 in China and No. 2 globally in the “Islands and Coastlines” category of Ctrip’s Global Rankings; named the most favored domestic travel destination among China’s high-net-worth individuals for 14 consecutive years by the Hurun Rich List; shortlisted for LuxeAsia’s “Best Luxury Destinations in Asia”…
Growing overseas following: Sanya’s social media presence on international platforms continues to expand, giving the city its own platform to share the “Sanya story” with the world.
Taking advantage of the 6th Asian Beach Games, Sanya launched the #passtheball campaign to share the exciting stories of “Travel in China” with the world. The video garnered responses from tourism boards in Italy, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and other countries, and was reposted by the official account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson.
At the same time, Sanya has signed a strategic partnership with Lonely Planet to jointly promote the coastal lifestyle and the narrative of sustainable development to the world. As communication shifts from one-way dissemination to multi-stakeholder collaboration, a more comprehensive international communication matrix is taking shape.
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New Strategy
From “Regional Popularity” to “Global Presence”
Capabilities for Global Expansion Are Rapidly Taking Shape
Following the launch of the country’s first passenger route with seventh-freedom rights—the “Sanya–Prague” route—Sanya swiftly established three liaison offices in Europe, implementing a comprehensive strategy combining “routes, events, products, and distribution channels.” Sanya has been making increasingly frequent appearances at key industry platforms in Berlin, Russia, and elsewhere, solidifying its position in the global tourism discourse.
Sanya is in the process of transitioning from a “popular destination” to a “participant in the international tourism ecosystem.”
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A New Journey
From “Traffic Growth” to “Retention Development”
Setting Sail on the Tailwind of the Free Trade Port
Behind the strong performance of inbound tourism at the start of the year, we can see a deeper shift: the city’s “international character” is becoming increasingly diverse.
This includes not only short-term visitors, but also people coming to study, work, and start businesses; it represents not just the flow of consumption, but also the clustering of resources.
In September 2025, Hainan Lausanne Tourism University officially opened its doors in Sanya. As the first independent institution established in Hainan by EHL (formerly the École Hôtelière de Lausanne), this international institution of higher education is cultivating tourism and hospitality management talent with a global perspective for the Hainan Free Trade Port and for China as a whole. Marking a shift from “attracting talent” to “cultivating talent,” the establishment of this institution itself sends a clear signal: Sanya’s internationalization is evolving from superficial “traffic” to deeper “retention.”
Starting in April, a Sanya tourism delegation will once again “go global,” traveling to Thailand, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, and other countries to deepen cooperation. Riding the momentum of the border reopening and setting sail for tourism, a more welcoming, open, and international Sanya is opening its arms, looking forward to meeting you from all over the world on this azure coast!
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100 Days Since Reopening
The “off to a flying start” report card Sanya has delivered
is not only a victory for the market
but also a leap forward in the city’s stature
Sanya
is becoming a new window through which the world can understand China