HAIKOU /China/, June 29. /TASS/. The city of Sanya in the southern Chinese province of Hainan received a total of 412,200 tourists over the weekend (June 21-23) on the occasion of the national Duanwu Festival, which is up 47.69% compared to the same period last year. This was reported by the Sanya Daily newspaper.

The tourism industry revenues of this resort town also grew during this period. The corresponding figure reached 791 million yuan ($109.8 million) - an increase of 62.44% year on year.

Passenger traffic at Phoenix Airport also reached record levels during the holiday. Statistics show that the city's airport handled 83,200 passengers, nearly three and a half times more than during the same period last year. Most tourists came from cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and the provinces of Sichuan and Guangdong. Over the entire weekend, Sanya's airport handled about 1,056 flights, with a total passenger traffic of 159,500 people. The corresponding figures increased by 22.36% and 19.21% in annual terms.

Recreational activities on the water were the most popular among tourists during the holidays. Search queries for relevant services grew by 80%. In particular, requests for water parks increased by 150%. Sailing, surfing and diving also attracted a large number of tourists. Many attractions, writes the publication, operated on the weekend for guests free of charge.

The proportion of tourists between the ages of 18 and 35 who visited Sanya during the Duanyu celebrations was 40%. They accounted for up to 61% of the total number of shoppers in the city's duty-free stores. Statistics also show that the average occupancy rate of top hotels in Sanya during this period reached 73%.

The city of Sanya is among the most popular resort cities in the province. The authorities intend to turn Hainan into an "international tourism and consumption center" by 2025. The Chinese island is often referred to as the "Oriental Hawaii" - the natural scenery, tropical forests, developed network of hotels, combined with the beaches and coastline of more than 1,900 km long attract visitors from the most remote parts of the world.