SANYA, October 29. /TASS/. Chen Tiejun More than 181,000 Russian tourists visited Hainan's resort city of Sanya in the first nine months of 2019, increasing by 23% over the same period last year, the Deputy Mayor of Sanya Chen Tiejun said.
"From January to September 2019, Sanya welcomed more than 181,000 Russian tourists, which is by 23% more in annual terms," said the official as quoted by the People's Daily newspaper.
The deputy mayor noted that "Sanya is the only city in China that has both rainforests and sea views to offer." "Moreover, Sanya is a cultural center and an important hub of the Maritime Silk Road," he emphasized.
The official recalled that "18 air routes connect the Chinese resort with the cities of Russia at present." "Only this year, seven new flights were launched: between Sanya and Zhukovsky, Kazan, Kemerovo, Samara, St. Petersburg, Ufa and Chita," the deputy mayor pointed out. "Six more routes are planned to be launched by the end of the year."
By 2025, the Chinese government intends to create an "international center for tourism and consumption" on Hainan. In order to do so, the "Eastern Hawaii" with their unique natural landscapes, thick rainforests and great climate will establish a developed network of hotels, which blend perfectly with white sandy beaches stretching along the coastline. The combination of an exotic subtropical nature and a modern eco-friendly infrastructure will boost tourist inflow to the island from the most distant parts of the world.