As the 2021 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) kicked off its 20th anniversary edition 
"A World in Change" on April 18, Hainan Island, where Boao is situated, has 
become a shining showcase for the future of Asia in the post-pandemic era. 
Hainan Island has attracted billions of dollars in investment since the 
commencement of the Overall Plan for the Construction of the Hainan Free Trade 
Port (Hainan FTP Plan) in June 2020. At the same time, Sanya, the popular 
resort city located on the southern tip of Hainan Island, is emerging as the 
hottest international tourism destination of 2021 with boundless new 
opportunities for work, travel and play.

Combining the ancient charm of Hainan's Li and Miao ethnic culture with 
crystal-clear waters, an abundance of coconut plantations, awe-inspiring 
sunsets and a never-ending array of diverse activities, Sanya is brimming with 
ways to stir the heart and awaken the senses. As Hainan enters a key stage of 
the construction of the Hainan FTP, Sanya is poised to become the island's main 
drawcard with a boom of investment into the tourism, modern services and 
high-tech sectors. The Sanya Tourism Promotion Board is supporting this 
transformation by evolving Sanya's tourism offering and innovating the region's 
travel-related enterprises to capture visitors in the post-pandemic era.

The Sanya Tourism Promotion Board was created in 2020 as a market-oriented 
operation organization focused on fostering government-enterprise partnerships, 
mobilizing Sanya's abundance of resources in the cultural and tourism 
industries, and exploring new opportunities to build Sanya's destination 
branding. The inception of the board is also a bold attempt to explore 
pioneering experiences to support the reform of the national tourism system 
against the background of the New Hainan. 

Over the past year, Hainan Island has introduced a number of policies and 
systems to accelerate the island's development, including the reduction of 
company registration timeframes to one day, the introduction of tax reductions 
and exemptions to create a more business-friendly environment, and the 
continued optimization of the tax-free operation and management system for 
outlying islands. Already regarded as one of China's most popular domestic 
tourist hotspots, the new Hainan FTP has reinvigorated Sanya's travel industry. 
With China looking to the new Hainan as an investment hub, the "New Sanya" will 
be a springboard for international business and travel in the region.

More than 104 key projects linked to the Hainan FTP have been inked in the past 
month, alongside the additional 741 projects signed previously. As a major 
investment magnet, these projects will inject an additional US$10 billion worth 
of development into Hainan Island and provide more convenient conditions and 
broader market opportunities to accelerate Sanya's tourism development. In 
anticipation of an uptick in travel, leading tourism giants have set their 
sights on Sanya, with the likes of Caesars Tourism establishing its corporate 
headquarters in the area.

Meanwhile, PADI, the world's largest professional association of diving 
instructors, has also signed an agreement with Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and 
Technology City to open a dive training base and promote the development of 
Hainan Island's dive training and tourism industries. With crystal-clear oceans 
teeming with marine life, Sanya will serve as a base for PADI to expand its 
operations in the region, as well as across China.

Leveraging the surge in investment and partnership, the Sanya Tourism Promotion 
Board is dedicated to cultivating new destinations and modes of tourism that 
showcase the city's vast diversity and resources. Its latest "Wonderland Sanya" 
campaign is targeted at young travelers and invites them to explore the new 
Sanya's unique and vibrant possibilities across five angles of food, travel 
photography, culture, outdoor activities and luxury hospitality. As borders 
gradually reopen in 2021 and beyond, the board will continue to enhance the 
popularity of Sanya and Hainan Island as a global player in business and 
leisure travel.

Source: Sanya Tourism Promotion Board

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   Caption: Sanya Ushers in New Era of Tourism with More Discoveries, More 
Experiences and More Possibilities