Known for its beautiful beaches, bays and upscale resorts, Sanya quickly became China’s top destination for island tourism. The destination saw 620,000 inbound tourists by the end of November 2017 — an impressive year-on-year growth of 70 per cent. The only beachfront tropical city in China, Sanya is expected to receive more than 18 million visitors by the end of the year, setting a tourism record for the region.

In addition to the increase in tourists, the number of international flights to Sanya increased by 64 per cent year-on-year, and foreign exchange earnings from tourism increased by 131 per cent.

“The world is discovering Sanya,” said Fan Wu, director, Sanya Tourism Development Commission. “With easy access to its beautiful tropical landscape, incredible local and international cuisine and rich cultural heritage, Sanya is a paradise-in-waiting [for] all travellers. With the government’s new open policy, more international travellers can come to Sanya and explore the wonders of our tropical island.”

Tourism relationships between the United Kingdom and China, in particular, show significant progress. Recent talks between the two nations led to an agreement to increase weekly flight quotas by 50 per cent between the two destinations. The current agreement from 2016 sets a limit of 100 flights per week, but the new agreement bumps up the number to 150.

Currently, Air China accounts for the highest seat capacity between the United Kingdom and China, followed by British Airways and China Southern Airlines, which recently signed a codeshare agreement.

China’s policy for Hainan Island, where Sanya is located, means travellers from 26 countries can obtain a 15-day visa upon arrival in Sanya with groups from some countries able to stay longer, and some able to visit with no visa including Singapore, Japan, Brunei and Mongolia.