Sanya expands global air links as inbound tourism surges

Sanya Phoenix International Airport launched seven new international routes in 2025, including flights to Seoul, Vietnam, and three Russian cities, bringing its total to 33 routes to 25 global destinations. The expansion comes as China's relaxed visa policies fuel a "China Travel" boom, with Sanya emerging as a key gateway.

From January to May 2025, the city welcomed 395,900 international overnight visitors, generating $328.3 million in tourism revenue. Notably, 23.7 percent of foreign tourists stayed over a week in May, up 7 percent year-on-year. Key markets include Russia, Kazakhstan, and South Korea.

Park Ji-an, a social media influencer from South Korea, who was among the first passengers on the new Sanya-Seoul route, praised the city's scenery and vowed to promote it to her followers. Russian Tour Guide Irina noted a 20 percent drop in customer acquisition costs thanks to direct flights.

Sanya is aggressively marketing itself abroad, attending major travel fairs in Perth and Berlin, while June's "2025 Overseas Travel Agents Hainan Tour" drew 450 global industry representatives. During the event, Malaysia's Mok Chin Fu expressed interest in cultural tourism collaborations.

The city's airport is currently undergoing a Phase III expansion to handle 30 million passengers annually by late 2025. Tourism Official Zhang Hao highlighted upcoming events like September's Asia Golf Championship and tailored promotions for South Korea, utilizing the 2025 China-Japan-Korea Cultural Exchange Year.

"We'll innovate tourism products and enhance visitor experiences to turn guests into ambassadors," Zhang said.