What Sanya reveals about balanced tourism development

A city can have beautiful beaches, impressive buildings, and luxury resorts, but what makes it truly memorable is how these attractions connect with its people, culture, and way of life. During my six days in Sanya, a tropical coastal city in South China's Hainan province, I discovered that its charm extends far beyond the turquoise sea and palm-lined beaches.

More importantly, Sanya shows how a city can preserve its cultural identity while embracing tourism, modern development, and international openness, making it a useful example of balanced growth.

What impressed me most was the diversity of experiences within a single destination. One moment, I was exploring a traditional fishing village; another, I was visiting a modern yacht marina or an international shopping complex. These contrasts revealed a city that is developing rapidly without leaving its history and traditions entirely behind.

Sanya's natural beauty is undoubtedly one of its greatest attractions. Wuzhizhou Island introduced me to the importance of marine conservation, particularly the protection of coral reefs, while West Island offered a glimpse into the traditions of a century-old fishing village. These visits reminded me that the appeal of coastal tourism depends not only on beautiful scenery but also on protecting the environment and preserving the communities that give each destination its character.

The cultural experiences were equally meaningful. Walking through Yazhou Ancient City, I encountered traditional architecture, historic streets, Yazhou folk songs, and performances associated with the Li ethnic group. Beyond the famous landmarks, exploring local neighborhoods and the bustling First Seafood Market added another dimension to my journey. Local food and everyday activities helped me appreciate the city beyond its tourist spots.

What makes Sanya particularly interesting is how it connects these traditional attractions with modern tourism infrastructure. During visits to Hongzhou International Yacht Marina, Atlantis Sanya and the CDF Sanya International Duty-Free Shopping Complex, I observed the scale and diversity of the city's tourism and leisure economy. These developments illustrate how Sanya is expanding beyond conventional beach tourism to attract visitors interested in shopping, marine recreation, and high-quality hospitality services.

Yet infrastructure alone does not make a destination internationally attractive. Visitors also need convenient services, accessible facilities, and a welcoming environment. At Sanya Joy City, I learned about the "Passport Friendly" initiative, designed to make shopping and related services easier for international visitors.

Although such improvements may seem small compared with large infrastructure projects, they can significantly shape a traveller's experience. Tourism becomes more competitive when convenience is treated as an essential part of hospitality.

My journey showed that Sanya's development extends well beyond hotels and shopping centers. At the Sanya International Friendly Traditional Chinese Medicine Sanatorium, I explored how traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture and therapeutic massage, is being connected with health and wellness tourism.

A visit to Hainan Lausanne Tourism University highlighted the importance of professional education in developing a skilled hospitality workforce. At Durian Valley in the Yucai Ecological Zone, I learned how tropical agriculture can create opportunities for rural tourism and local economic development.

Together, these experiences revealed an important principle: a successful tourism destination requires more than scenic attractions. It depends on a wider ecosystem of education, transportation, healthcare, agriculture, business, and public services. When these sectors develop together, tourism can generate opportunities across different parts of society rather than remaining concentrated in a few resorts or commercial areas.

Sanya's international connectivity provides another perspective on its transformation. I learned that visa-free entry arrangements cover citizens of 88 countries, while individual immigration clearance can take as little as 30 seconds. The city has established 38 international passenger air routes, connecting it with destinations across several major overseas markets.

Passenger movements through Sanya Phoenix International Airport have also surpassed one million, representing year-on-year growth of 30.3 percent. These figures reflect the growing importance of international accessibility in Sanya's development.

However, increasing visitor numbers should not be the only measure of success. The more important question is whether tourism development improves local livelihoods, protects cultural traditions, and maintains environmental quality. Sanya's efforts in these areas offer valuable lessons, although balancing rapid growth with long-term sustainability remains an ongoing challenge.

For countries such as Bangladesh, particularly coastal destinations with significant tourism potential, Sanya provides several useful points for reflection. Developing attractive tourist facilities is important, but equal attention should be given to environmental conservation, community participation, hospitality education, and convenient visitor services.

Preserving fishing communities, traditional food cultures, and local heritage can make tourism destinations more distinctive while creating economic opportunities for residents. The lesson is not to replicate Sanya's development model, but to consider how tourism investment can support broader, locally grounded development.

Six days were enough to see many sides of Sanya, but also to realise how much more there is to discover. I arrived to explore a coastal destination and left with a broader understanding of how natural beauty, cultural identity and economic development can complement one another.

For me, Sanya's most valuable lesson is simple: the future of a tourism destination should not be measured only by how many visitors it attracts or how many impressive buildings it constructs. Its real success lies in what it preserves, what opportunities it creates for its people, and how meaningfully it connects with the wider world. That is what makes Sanya more than a beautiful seaside city, and why its story deserves attention far beyond China's shores.

The author, Mohammad Saiyedul Islam, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in the School of Overseas Education (School of Foreign Languages) at Sanming University in East China's Fujian province; a Senior Research Fellow at Daffodil International University Belt and Road Research center in Bangladesh; and an Adjunct Fellow in the ASEAN-China Research Center at the University of Indonesia in Indonesia.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.