How can a city with just over one million residents draw tens of millions of visitors?

For Sanya, the answer lies in the continuous upgrading of tourism experiences, better service quality, and increasing openness and international cooperation.  

According to official data:

* In the first quarter of 2026, Sanya welcomed 9.5281 million overnight visitors, marking an 8.8% increase compared to the previous year;

* Total spending by overnight visitors rose to CNY 38.08 billion, up 11.8%, demonstrating the city’s robust resilience and vitality in the tourism and cultural sectors.

At the same time, supported by the policy advantages of island-wide special customs operations under the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) and the ongoing momentum from the 6th Asian Beach Games Sanya 2026 (Sanya 2026), Sanya is shaping a new vision for high-quality development as it aims to become a world-class coastal tourism destination.

From sightseeing to diverse experiences

“Ten years ago, visiting Sanya mainly meant going to the beach and enjoying seafood. Now, I could watch intangible cultural heritage performances at Luhuitou Scenic Area, try surfing at Houhai, and participate in marine study activities with children. Each experience was completely different,” said travel blogger Zhang Ran from Taiwan, China, during her recent visit to Houhai.

“Sanya is not just beautiful; it also boasts rich culture and cuisine. Hainan chicken rice, Li and Miao ethnic traditions, and live performances all contribute to a more diverse and immersive experience.”

At Wuzhizhou Island Tourist Area, the Via Ferrata cliff adventure project has become a popular attraction.

The immersive performance “I Return to Tianya Haijiao” at Sanya Romance Park keeps boosting the city’s nightlife, while the surfing culture and fishing village vibe of Houhai have made it a favored spot for younger travellers.

Today, Sanya has evolved far beyond the typical “beach plus duty-free shopping” model.

Integrated tourism models such as “tourism + sport," “tourism + culture," “tourism + wellness," and “tourism + duty-free retail” are transforming new regional tourism experiences.

Long-established attractions are also finding new vitality.

Luhuitou Scenic Area canceled admission fees and added activities such as fluorescent night runs and ethnic song-and-dance performances. This led to an increase in annual visitors from under one million before free entry to over 2.2 million by 2025.

Houhai’s Tenghai community combines surfing culture with traditional fishing village life, featuring surf clubs, themed cafés, and craft shops dedicated to intangible cultural heritage. The fusion of local culture and modern lifestyle has made the area a leading example of sport-tourism integration.

Meanwhile, the Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex has been officially recognized as a national 4A-level tourist attraction, combining duty-free shopping with tourism activities.

In the first quarter of 2026, Sanya's duty-free sales surpassed CNY 10 billion, underscoring its increasing popularity as a tourism and shopping hub.

Building on Sanya 2026's momentum, the city has introduced a variety of event-themed tourism products, offering combined “watch-and-holiday” experiences.

Beach football, sailing, windsurfing, and diving are becoming more popular, while traditional cultural practices, including Li brocade weaving, Miao embroidery, and sugar painting, are now featured in scenic areas.

Events such as the “March 3 Festival” carnival and intangible cultural heritage competitions are bringing traditional culture closer to visitors in more engaging ways.

An official from the Sanya Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports Bureau stated, “We are advancing beyond traditional tourism resources by enhancing our offerings through integrated 'tourism plus' development. Our goal is for visitors to not only enjoy the natural scenery but also to gain a deeper understanding of Sanya’s culture and experience a broader array of activities.”

From passing visitors to returning guests

Many visitors remarked, “Travelling in Sanya feels reassuring, since any consumer dispute can be reported with one click and resolved quickly. The services are professional and thoughtful.”

In recent years, Sanya has been actively improving the quality of its tourism services.

The enhanced “Sanya Trust Tour” platform has reduced tourism complaint processing from three to seven days to just 'three-minute acceptance, thirty-minute compensation advance, and resolution within one day,' earning it the nickname 'Sanya speed’ for tourism rights protection.

The city has also introduced tourism service quality inspectors and launched various systems to ensure market integrity, enforce penalties, facilitate dispute resolution, and report illegal activities.

Credit-based management systems have been implemented in sectors such as diving and travel agencies. Additionally, service standards have been set for seafood dining and marine tourism, enhancing transparency and regulation in the tourism market.

Sanya has further enhanced multilingual signage throughout the city, expanded service stations along the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway, and optimised the tourism road networks linked to the National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest.

Measures such as expanded advance compensation coverage, improved digital services for homestays, and better visitor flow management during holidays have further enhanced the travelling experience.

At major island destinations such as Xidao and Wuzhizhou Island, continuous upgrades in facilities and service quality are turning guests from “passing visitors into returning guests.

From coastal city to global gateway

On 23 April, during Sanya 2026, Indonesian visitor Rajesh visited China for the first time using the visa-free entry policy.

He mentioned, "I came across details about the Asian Beach Games online and easily booked a flight to attend. It was extremely convenient," and added, "Sanya's international atmosphere surpassed what I had expected.”

He observed that multilingual signs and services were common in hotels, scenic spots, and duty-free shops, and he expressed hope to revisit for a longer stay in the future.

Today, international visitors and foreign-language signage can be seen throughout Sanya.

Many domestic visitors to Dadonghai Tourist Area often describe the ambiance as almost like being in a foreign country, particularly during holiday seasons.

During the recent May Day holiday, the number of inbound visitors to Sanya rose by 110% compared to the previous year.

Sanya Phoenix International Airport recorded 17,000 international passenger trips, representing a 20.9% increase. Major markets included Russia, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Belarus.

Inbound visitor growth was also particularly strong at major attractions.

At Atlantis Sanya, the number of inbound tourists increased by 90%, and hotel occupancy hit 95.6%, primarily fueled by visitors from Russia and Korea.

The Sanya Tourism Development Bureau has set up 19 overseas promotional offices in countries and regions such as Germany, the Czech Republic, Belarus, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Fiji, Italy, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, and Korea. This growing international network links Sanya better to global markets.

Sanya now has 36 international air routes connecting 29 cities in 16 countries and regions, enhancing its market connectivity.

The city frequently hosts international tourism exchange events and has developed multi-destination cross-border tourism products. Within China, Sanya is enhancing its tourism collaborations with cities such as Xi’an, Xiangyang, and Taiyuan, creating a dual-circulation tourism market that links domestic and international visitors.

Sanya is also accelerating the development of new tourist attractions that will serve as future landmarks.

The city hosts China’s first standardised yacht port, featuring five marinas, over 1,000 berths, and more than 1,400 registered yachts.

Construction is underway on the initial phase of the Hainan Sanya International Cruise Port passenger terminal. Meanwhile, key tourism and commercial developments such as Haitang Story, CDF Taikoo Li, the Hello Kitty Resort Hotel, and Super MixC are quickly progressing.