Just moments ago, Sanya was awarded the Destination of the Year prize at the 2026 Asian Routes Development Conference.

More good news has arrived! Sanya has won the Destination Award at the 2026 Asian Routes Development Conference! This is a highly prestigious industry event in the Asia-Pacific civil aviation sector, regarded alongside the “World Routes Conference” as one of the two core platforms in the global aviation industry. The award is determined entirely by votes from international airlines, making it exceptionally prestigious. Previously, renowned organizations such as the Philippine Department of Tourism, the Japan National Tourism Organization, Tourism South Australia, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand have all received this honor.

This nomination not only serves as a strong endorsement of Sanya’s achievements in international tourism development but also signifies that Sanya has become a core tourism market with significant development value and potential in the eyes of international airlines, marking a solid step forward in its development as an international tourist destination.

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As a highly influential industry event in the Asia-Pacific civil aviation sector, the Asia Aviation Conference, alongside the World Routes Conference, is recognized as one of the two core exchange platforms in the global aviation industry. It serves as a vital hub for major airports, airlines, tourism organizations, and related service providers from the Asia-Pacific region and around the world. It serves as a key platform for analyzing aviation market trends, connecting route resources, and deepening industry cooperation. Its influence extends across the global civil aviation industry chain, playing an irreplaceable leading role in promoting the construction of regional aviation hubs and optimizing the layout of international route networks. It has garnered significant attention and recognition from the global civil aviation and tourism industries. The award is organized by the Asia Aviation Summit’s host—Informan Group, the world’s leading provider of business intelligence and event management—and is determined entirely by votes from international airlines.

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Sanya: Demonstrating the Hard Power of “Aviation-Tourism Integration”

Sanya has consistently adhered to the dual strategy of “promoting Sanya tourism to the world” and “going out while inviting in.” This nomination marks Sanya’s fourth appearance on the stage of the International Air Routes Conference. From the 2023 Istanbul World Routes Conference to the 2025 Perth Asian Routes Conference and the Hong Kong World Routes Conference, and now the 2026 Xi’an Asian Routes Conference, Sanya has steadily connected with global resources and expanded its international market.

By 2026, Sanya will have launched a total of 35 international routes, connecting to 28 cities and regions worldwide. These include three fifth-freedom routes and China’s first seventh-freedom passenger route, “Sanya–Prague.”

Notably, Cambodia Airlines, which operates the “Phnom Penh–Sanya–Singapore” route, and Eagle Air, which operates the “Sanya–Bangkok–Frankfurt” route, are direct outcomes of Sanya’s targeted matchmaking and in-depth negotiations facilitated by the World Routes Conference platform.

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Not Just “Flying Out,” but Also “Inviting In”

While actively expanding its route network, Sanya is focusing on the full-process experience for international tourists—covering “clothing, food, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment”—to address pain points such as “payment difficulties,” “communication barriers,” and “travel challenges.”

✅ Paperless self-service declaration for inbound travelers has been implemented at the Phoenix Island Cruise Port and Sanya Phoenix International Airport.

✅ Payment service experience zones have been established at key locations such as the airport, cruise terminals, and Joy City, featuring the province’s first self-service foreign currency exchange machine in a shopping mall, which supports cash exchange for nine different currencies.

✅ Sanya Summer Department Store, Sanya Joy City, and Tianyue City have been designated as the first pilot sites for building “inbound consumer-friendly commercial districts.”

Step by step, we are ensuring that international visitors to Sanya enjoy smooth flights, convenient spending, and an exciting experience.

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This nomination reflects international airlines’ high recognition of Sanya’s
tourism development potential, achievements in aviation-tourism integration,

and international service standards.

In the future,
Sanya will continue to deepen “aviation-tourism integration,”
expand the development of international routes,
and improve services to facilitate inbound travel,
so that more international tourists
will come to Sanya and fall in love with Sanya.