HAIKOU /China/, November 23. /TASS/. A delegation of some 100 representatives of the Chinese tourism industry visited a tourism promotion event in the resort city of Sanya on Hainan Island, Sanya Ribao reported.
According to the newspaper, travel agencies from multiple Russian regions took part in the event hosted by Sanya Tourism Board jointly with Sanya Eden International Travel Co. Ltd. The Russians held meetings with Chinese businessmen to discuss improving business communication and expanding the scope of cooperation. This, the newspaper said, allowed them to deepen ties, and establish a more solid basis for the provision of high-quality services. The two sides agreed to join efforts toward developing new tourism products customized for Russians and jointly promoting recreation in Sanya.
Biblio-Globus, Sletat.ru and other travel organizers from Russia got an insight into travel opportunities in China’s southernmost city. Participants in the event discussed numerous pressing issues, including destination planning, hotel accommodation for tourists, and creating tours with a diversified and busy program.
The Russian industry workers carefully studied a presentation of Hainan’s tourism potential and asked lots of questions regarding key details. According to Sanya Eden International Travel Board Chairman Ho Jiangping, similar events with the participation of Russian travel agents, previously hosted by Vietnam and Thailand, now took place in Sanya for the first time ever. Thanks to a visa free travel regime for Russians that was launched recently, and given direct flights between Sanya and 11 Russian cities, she said, tourist flows from Russia to Sanya can as well reach a record high of more than 500,000 in 2025.
Wu Xiaolin, Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director General of Sanya Tourism Board, called Russia a key supplier of foreign tourists. The city’s municipal authorities are taking efforts toward “an active and deep exploration of the Russian-speaking market.”
Sanya, a city of over one million people, is a popular Chinese resort destination. In 2024, its gross domestic product saw a 5% rise to more than 100 billion yuan (around $14 billion). The city's average annual air temperature reaches 25.4 degrees Celsius, and its coastline is about 260 kilometers long. There are 19 bays and approximately 40 islands in the adjacent waters that are suitable for tourism, allowing for successful development of yachting, cruise tourism, and beach and family vacations. In January-October 2025, the flow of foreign tourists grew by an annual 41.6% to 810,000.