HAIKOU — On Dadonghai beach in Sanya, a coastal resort in South China's island province of Hainan, foreign tourists are soaking up the winter sun, including Malika from Moscow who has chosen Sanya as her first travel destination in China.

"We wanted to have a sea holiday, and also to see a bit of China," she said. "Sanya was amazing and I liked it very much."

While parts of northern China are covered in ice and snow, Hainan, located in the tropical zone, has entered its busiest tourist season with its signature sun, sand and sea. Particularly since Hainan Free Trade Port launched island-wide special customs operations on Dec 18, the continuous release of various policy incentives has led to a surge in inbound tourism.

Official data showed that the island saw 186,000 entries and exits for foreigners in the first month after the special customs operations, a year-on-year increase of 46 percent. Among them, 87,000 foreign tourists entered Hainan visa-free, representing a remarkable growth of 64 percent year-on-year.

The inbound tourism boom is supported by the convenient visa-free policies and an increasingly improved aviation network. A total of 86 countries now enjoy visa-free entry to Hainan, and the number of international and regional passenger air routes has reached 92.

Anton, a tourist from Belarus, visited Sanya with his family for the second time. "The visa-free policy is very convenient, and we can stay in Hainan for up to 30 days."

In the past, traveling from Belarus to Hainan was cumbersome, and he had to fly from Minsk to Moscow first, then to Sanya. With the launch of a direct flight between Belarus and Hainan in October 2025, the journey has become much easier.

Vitaliy, a Russian tour guide, got a thank-you message from a Czech tourist and was busy getting ready to welcome a group of over 30 European travelers.

Having been working in Hainan for almost eight years, he has personally witnessed obvious changes. Since 2025, there has been a growing number of tourists from European countries. These visitors stay longer, and their interests have shifted from traditional sightseeing to in-depth experiences like surfing and traditional Chinese medicine therapy.

Official data further confirmed Vitaliy's observations. In 2025, Hainan received over 1.5 million inbound overnight tourists, up 35.2 percent year-on-year. Notably, tourist arrivals from countries including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland all achieved double-digit year-on-year growth.

The upgraded duty-free policy has further enhanced the in-depth experience of international tourists. Starting from Nov 1, 2025, the beneficiary range was expanded to include outbound travelers, making duty-free shopping a key part of their experiences.

Behind the market boom also lies Hainan's upgrading of tourism products and services. Targeting the preferences of European and American tourists, Hainan has focused on developing in-depth experience products such as cultural exploration and outdoor sports besides traditional coastal vacations. Meanwhile, payments, language, and signage for international tourists have been improved systematically.

Additionally, Hainan has established 29 tourism promotion offices in 18 countries and regions, as well as tourism stores in various cities such as Hong Kong and Jakarta.

Government plans show that by the end of 2026, high-grade scenic spots and hotels in Hainan will cover signage in five languages, namely Chinese, English, Russian, Japanese, and Korean, and cultivate 10,000 international tourism service people to eliminate communication barriers.

Hainan will continue to focus on key markets and make sustained efforts in improving marketing, increasing international air routes, enriching high-quality tourism products, and optimizing the inbound service to further promote the inbound tourism, said a Hainan tourism and culture official.

Xinhua