SANYA, October 5. /TASS/. During the first three days of the "golden week" in China the occupancy rate of Sanya's hotelsamounted to 85.88%, which is by 2.34 percentage points higher than in the same period last year, reported the Sanya Daily newspaper.

The news outlet also points to a significant increase in prices for hotel services both in the central part of the city and in the coastal areas of the popular tourist bays of Sanya, Dadonghai, Yalongwan and Haitan. Over 118,000 tourists have visited Sanya's sights by said period. This figure, due to the coronavirus pandemic, was by 26.6% lower than the one that was recorded in the same period in 2019. There were no serious accidents or incidents with tourists in Sanya during the first three days over the weekend, the newspaper reports.

The first days of the 10th month in China fall on weekends and are considered the "golden week". At this time, the Chinese leave big cities for their hometowns or go on a trip around the country. Traditionally, Hainan is one of the most popular travel destinations. This year's holiday week coincided with the lunar Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiujie). This time it falls on October 1. Having no opportunity of traveling abroad, many Chinese have to spend their holidays at the country's resorts, and the beaches of Hainan are especially popular.

Hainan's free trade zone 

In April 2018, President Xi Jinping said that the Chinese authorities intend to actively involve Hainan in globalization and to draw foreign investors to the island province. By 2050, according to the authorities, the island should become a unique international cluster with an advanced economy, developed tourism, top-notch scientific, technical and financial potential, and modern medicine. The branches of the best universities and offices of the most powerful corporations in the world will be located on the Island of Hainan. 

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.