Hainan’s Sanya launches Passport-Friendly initiative for foreign tourists

HAIKOU /China/, August 25. /TASS/. Sanya, a leading Chinese resort city on the island of Hainan, has launched the Sanya Tourism Passport-Friendly initiative to make shopping and leisure activities more convenient for foreign visitors, the city administration said.

According to the statement, the large-scale promotional campaign is available to any foreign national carrying a valid passport. To participate, travelers simply need to post original content about their trip to Sanya on social media using the official hashtag #GoChinaInSanya.

Travelers then receive an exclusive bonus package from companies participating in the initiative. They can take advantage of a wide range of discounts and additional benefits at duty-free stores and hotels, as well as when visiting tourist attractions and commercial districts.

This way, the initiative creates a marketing cycle that includes generating content abroad, driving offline tourist traffic, making purchases, and then subsequently sharing their experiences on social media. This approach is expected not only to help extend the average length of tourists’ stays on the island but also to boost consumer activity. In addition, Sanya is expected to gain greater recognition, while Hainan’s image as a welcoming global resort destination will be further strengthened.

The campaign began in July and will run for exactly one year. Its slogan is an invitation: "Your trip to China starts in Sanya." Key players in the resort’s retail and entertainment industries have joined the campaign, including hotels, shopping malls, the international duty-free shopping complex, the Wuzhizhou tourist area, Phoenix Park, and the Heavenly Grottoes park.

The initiative is expected not only to increase tourist arrivals but also to transform Sanya into "the premier shopping and tourism harbor of the South China Sea, where attractive shopping opportunities are combined with first-class service and the beauty of tropical nature."