Sanya and Dubai join forces to provide culinary masterpieces

The "Encountering Marvels of Mountains & Seas" themed event kicked off in Sanya, South China's Hainan province on Wednesday.

The highlight of the event is "A Bite in Two Cities", which is being jointly held by the two renowned resorts - Atlantis Sanya and Atlantis Dubai - for the first time, offering guests a feast of authentic cuisine from both cities.

Arabic executive chef Ali El Bourji from Atlantis Dubai was invited to present authentic Dubai cuisine in Sanya, featuring delicacies such as chicken tagine, authentic Lebanese fattoush salad.

The Dubai Food Festival in Sanya will last for two weeks, including the entire May Day Golden Week.

According to Dubai Tourism Board, gourmet cuisine is one of Dubai's proud features and "The Michelin Guide Dubai 2023" features 90 restaurants spanning 23 different cuisines, and Dubai restaurants claimed 18 spots in the top 50 of the 2024 Middle East and North Africa Best Restaurants Awards; all these achievements combined highlight Dubai's status as a culinary hub.

Both Sanya and Dubai are renowned cities for their abundant tourism resources and internationalized services. "A Bite in Two Cities" is a tourism marketing and promotion event jointly launched by Sanya Tourism Board, Atlantis Sanya, Atlantis Dubai and Dubai Tourism Board. It is also an important step of the Sanya Tourism Board to innovate overseas tourism marketing and promotion models.

"I hope this event will not only be an exchange of cuisine and culture, but will also further promote the deepening and expansion of cooperation between Sanya and the Middle East in tourism, culture and other fields," said Albert Yip, director general of Sanya Tourism Board.

H.E. Mariam Alshamsi, the Consul General of the United Arab Emirates in Guangzhou, also sent a congratulatory letter, wishing the event a great success. She affirmed that the Dubai Food Festival in Sanya is a concentrated showcase of tourism resources in Sanya, China and Dubai, UAE, as well as an innovative exploration of the historical and cultural heritage of both sides.

Cao Minglong, president and chief operation officer of Fosun Tourism Group, which owns Atlantis Sanya, said: "Over the past six years, Atlantis Sanya has been committed to delivering innovative content and excellent services, providing our guests with a spectacular experience and upgrading tourism consumption in Sanya. Looking ahead, we will continue to make breakthroughs, attract more guests from around the world, and turn Atlantis Sanya into a leading tourist destination in the Asia-Pacific region and even the whole world, contributing to building Hainan into an international tourism consumption center."

On Wednesday evening, combining the legend of Atlantis with the ancient Chinese myth "Classic of Mountains and Seas", a 20-minute immersive audio-visual show was also held. Thousands of drones soared into the night sky creating a dazzling display of lights and shapes, while tens of thousands of aerial fireworks illuminated the darkness with bursts of color and sound.