Sanya turning tourism spike into magnet

In the city of Sanya in South China's Hainan province, a holiday snapshot can now be worth more than memories.

Inbound visitors who share their experiences in the tropical resort city on social media can receive shopping vouchers, duty-free perks and benefits at hotels and attractions under the new Passport Friendly initiative launched on July 31.

The campaign comes as record numbers of inbound travelers are arriving in Sanya amid China's expansion of visa-free access. The city is looking for ways to turn that influx into spending, deeper travel experiences and overseas word-of-mouth.

Sanya Phoenix International Airport recorded 630,000 passenger entries and exits in the first half of 2026, marking a 33 percent year-on-year increase and the highest number for that period. Foreign nationals accounted for 83 percent of the traffic, with 97 percent of inbound foreign travelers entering visa-free.

Running through July 2027, the Passport Friendly initiative encourages eligible inbound visitors to share original content about Sanya using designated hashtags. Once their posts are verified, they can receive benefits from participating shopping malls, duty-free stores, hotels and scenic areas.

Early results suggest that the influx is translating into consumer spending.

At Sanya Joy City, the first shopping mall to join the initiative, inbound customers accounted for more than 30 percent of foot traffic from July 31 to Sunday. Foreign card transactions made up 28 percent of sales, about 10 percentage points higher than a year earlier, data from the mall showed.

To enhance the shopping experience for overseas visitors, the mall has introduced multilingual signage, foreign currency exchange services and digital payment options.

A similar trend is emerging at China Duty Free Group's Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex. According to the group, during the program's first half-month, the number of inbound visitors increased fourfold compared with the same period last year, and their spending more than tripled.

The impact is extending beyond retail. Sanya's Wuzhizhou Island scenic area has joined the initiative with fast-track boarding for inbound visitors, while upgrading multilingual guidance and ticketing services.

"The difference was tangible," said Chris Kim, a South Korean visitor. "I encountered fewer language and payment difficulties in Sanya than in other Chinese cities, and I even received extra vouchers after sharing a video of the seascape online."

Italian tourist Vincenzo Francesco Calabrese said that the benefits also gave him more incentive to shop during his stay.

The idea is to make such experiences travel a greater distance than the visitors themselves.

"Sanya Tourism's Passport Friendly initiative turns ordinary inbound tourists into natural city ambassadors," said Ma Nan, deputy director-general of the Sanya Tourism Board.

Visitors ranging from Kazakh diving bloggers and Malaysian food enthusiasts to Russian wellness travelers are already posting about visa-free access, coastal scenery and traditional Chinese medicine experiences.

For Sanya, those posts form part of a broader effort to capitalize on China's inbound travel boom — making it easier for inbound visitors to arrive, giving them more reasons to spend and explore once they are there, and letting their experiences help draw the next wave of travelers.

Contact the writers at chenbowen@chinadaily.com.cn

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