HAIKOU /China/, December 13. /TASS Correspondent Nikolai Selishchev/. The Russian segment of the tourist market of the Chinese resort city of Sanya in Hainan Province is growing rapidly and has great potential, Sanya Tourism Development Commission told TASS.
"Russian inbound tourism has always been an important part of Sanya's tourist market," the department said, referring to the sector's growth prospects and taking into account the peculiarities of Russians' recreational preferences. "In general, Sanya's Russian tourism market is at the stage of dynamic development and has great potential."
Sanya has recently seen an increase in the flow of tourists amid growing cultural and economic ties between China and Russia. From January to October, the number of visitors to the city from Russia increased 16 times year-on-year to more than 120,000.
"Russia ranks first among [Sanya's] sources of inbound tourism," the department said. The growth in this figure was attributed to both the visa-free regime and measures to increase the openness of Hainan Free Trade Port, as well as the intensive development of a network of duty-free shops in the province.
Among the positive factors attracting Russian tourists, the agency also cited easy access to transportation, including the expansion of international air routes connecting Sanya with major Russian cities such as Moscow and Yekaterinburg. In addition, the tourism products that are in high demand among Russians are becoming more diverse: in addition to traditional beach vacations, Russian guests are also interested in golf, traditional Chinese medicine services, and learning about the culture and traditions of Hainan's small nationalities.
The preferences of Russians are changing
"In recent years, the trend of Russian tourists' trips to Hainan is gradually undergoing profound changes. First of all, it concerns the type of vacation and the level of demand," the department said. "We expect that with the diversification of the tourism market, travelers from Russia in general will prefer long-term rather than short-term vacations, more individual tourism".
According to the department's prognosis, the number of family trips from Russia will also increase in the near future. "More and more Russians will bring their children to Sanya. They are attracted not only by the rich natural landscape, but also by the increasingly diverse program of family entertainment that is being created here," the commentary says.
There are over 40 world-class hotel brands in the city, the commission noted. These hotels have spacious rooms for parents with children, special play areas. "In the future, family trips for Russian travelers will become one of the main types of recreation in Sanya," the department's specialists believe.
Another direction, which is expected to grow and attract a mass flow of visitors from Russia, is recreational tourism. According to the department, the construction of health centers, clinics of traditional Chinese medicine and sanatoriums will create an even more effective range of services in the near future, which will appeal to many more Russians.
One of the key tasks of Sanya in the field of tourism is to overcome the seasonal factor, when in some periods relatively few tourists come to Hainan, according to the department. The combination of innovative projects and the optimization of the infrastructure should make the island relevant for the Russian people throughout the year.
Sanya is a leading Chinese resort city with a population of over 1 million. In 2023, its gross product reached 97.13 billion yuan (approximately $13.66 billion), an increase of 12%. Its average annual temperature reaches 25.4 degrees Celsius and its coastline is over 260 kilometers long. There are 19 bays and about 40 islands suitable for tourism in the surrounding waters, all of which allow the local government to successfully develop yachting, beach and family vacations.