With inbound tourism heating up during the May Day holiday, Sanya is leveraging its network of overseas liaison offices to conduct multi-platform overseas outreach.

During this year’s May Day holiday (May 1–5), the inbound tourism market continued to heat up. Hainan Province saw a total of 40,000 inbound and outbound travelers, an 8% increase year-over-year; among them, more than 10,000 foreign visitors entered the province under the visa-free policy, a 14.5% increase year-over-year. According to a report by CCTV News, the number of foreign tourists in Sanya increased by 110% year-over-year. Sanya Phoenix International Airport handled 17,000 international passengers, a 20.9% year-on-year increase, with major source markets including Russia, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Belarus.

In Sanya, inbound tourist numbers at key attractions saw significant growth. Atlantis Resort saw a 90% year-on-year increase in inbound visitors, with an occupancy rate of 95.6%, primarily driven by tourists from Russia and South Korea; Wuzhizhou Island received an average of over 10,000 visitors per day, a 5.6% increase year-on-year.

To capitalize on the growth opportunities in inbound tourism, the Sanya Tourism Development Bureau is fully leveraging the local advantages of its overseas promotion liaison offices. It will transform seven overseas liaison points in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, and Mongolia into precise touchpoints connecting Sanya with the world. By communicating in languages the world understands and in places the world is familiar with, Sanya will showcase its vacation appeal, making “Sanya, China” a standout destination on overseas travelers’ mobile devices.

This is a truly multilingual, multi-platform, and high-reach collaborative effort—each liaison office combines local tourist preferences with platform characteristics to publish Sanya tourism content in English, Russian, Kazakh, Uzbek, and other languages on mainstream social media platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and Telegram, delivering Sanya’s beautiful scenery and enriching experiences directly to the fingertips and hearts of potential visitors.

🌍 Multi-Country Collaboration, Comprehensive Coverage

Rejecting the “one-size-fits-all” approach, we’ve chosen to engage with different markets through localized languages and perspectives, diving deep into their social media ecosystems:

· Belarusian travel agency FUN&SUN: Simultaneously promoting Sanya across Instagram, Telegram, and Threads, highlighting sunny beaches, family-friendly experiences, and duty-free shopping to align with Eastern European travelers’ preference for warm coastal destinations.

· Malaysia Business Hotels Association (MyBHA): Targeting the Southeast Asian market, we use Facebook, X, and Instagram to convey the concepts of convenient travel and quality vacations—presenting Sanya not just as a destination, but as an easily accessible tropical getaway.

· Kazakhstan’s Skart Airlines and Air Astana: On official accounts such as Instagram, they focus on direct flights, duty-free shopping, and family vacations to meet Central Asian travelers’ demand for convenient direct flights and cost-effective vacations.

· KOMPAS Travel Agency (Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan) and East Wing Airlines (Uzbekistan): Deeply cultivating the Central Asian market, they reinforce the perception of “China as the First Stop, Sanya as the Top Choice” through route planning and visual content, making Sanya the first impression of exploring China.

· Mongolia’s Hun Air: Promoting Sanya’s tropical coastal experience to Mongolian tourists through the “Go China, in Sanya” campaign on Facebook, expanding market coverage in Northeast Asia.

From the skies to the ground, from flight routes to hotels, Sanya leverages its global network of overseas tourism liaison offices. Overseas promotion has evolved from a simple city image showcase to a new model of targeted marketing—one that is multidimensional and deeply integrated into local tourism ecosystems abroad.

✈️ What makes Sanya so attractive to global travelers?

Four Core Strengths

Behind the continuous expansion of its international “network” lies Sanya’s relentlessly refined vacation appeal:

1️⃣ Direct Flights · Spontaneous Getaways

International flight schedules continue to expand, with direct routes such as Astana–Sanya and Almaty–Sanya operating steadily at 2–3 flights per week. This eliminates the fatigue of layovers, allowing travelers to fly straight from their doorstep to this tropical paradise at 18° north latitude.

2️⃣ Duty-Free Shopping · Global Treasures

Boosted by Hainan Free Trade Port’s duty-free policies, enjoy a one-stop luxury shopping experience featuring great prices, a wide selection, and an exceptional experience. Combine vacationing with shopping without missing a beat, ensuring every visitor returns home with bags full of treasures

3️⃣ Year-Round Vacations · Perfect for the Whole Family

Sun-kissed beaches, tropical cuisine, water sports, luxury hotels, and Li and Miao cultures… Whether you’re a couple, a family with children, a senior traveler, or a group of friends, Hainan caters to everyone year-round, effortlessly fulfilling your diverse vacation dreams.

4️⃣ International Service Upgrades in Key Areas

The Dadonghai Tourism Area has completed its internationalization upgrade, featuring over 500 trilingual (Chinese, English, and Russian) signs. Sixty merchants now accept international credit cards and Alipay, and staff are available in both English and Russian to enhance the travel and shopping convenience for international visitors in Sanya.

5️⃣ Travel-Friendly Policies · Easy Entry

With visa-free entry or visa-on-arrival options for many countries, along with efficient customs clearance services, the barriers to travel have been significantly lowered. This allows international visitors to enter the country with ease and enjoy their trip with peace of mind, leaving more time to appreciate the scenery and ensuring a comfortable journey.

🌟 From the South China Sea to the World

Sanya’s international “circle of friends” continues to expand

This May Day international collaboration marks a significant step in Sanya’s global marketing and targeted outreach efforts. Leveraging the natural advantages of our overseas promotion offices—which are deeply rooted in their local communities and intimately familiar with local markets—we tell Sanya’s story in the hearts of international travelers using local languages, local perspectives, and local platforms.

Early summer has arrived, and the sea breeze is warm. Sanya will continue to deepen international cooperation, increase international flight frequencies, optimize entry services, and innovate promotional methods, so that more international friends can get to know Sanya, fall in love with Sanya, and visit Sanya often.

The sun is shining brightly, and the waves are gently lapping

Sanya has opened its arms to the world

We welcome every one of you who has traveled from afar

Come here and embark on your own wonderful journey 🌴