In honor of World Tourism Day on September 27, Sanya, the popular resort city 
located on the southern tip of Hainan Island, has renewed its commitment to 
creating a tourism destination that is open for everyone to enjoy. The popular 
holiday hotspot has introduced a string of initiatives this year aimed at 
restarting the tourism industry while enabling the benefits to be shared at 
every level of the community — from the largest hoteliers to local businesses 
and ethnic groups. 

With the theme "Tourism for Inclusive Growth", World Tourism Day 2021 
acknowledges the crucial role that tourism plays in social and economic 
recovery and growth after COVID-19. This year's program goes beyond tourism 
itself to recognize the importance of travel to open up new possibilities and 
ensure that nobody is left behind as the world begins to look to the future. 
Throughout the year, Sanya Tourism Promotion Board has embraced this mentality 
by launching diverse experiences that celebrate all the destination has to 
offer, as well as unite modern and ancient cultures.

"With more than 15 million tourists in 2020, Sanya brings people together from 
all walks of life. We want to welcome more people to Sanya while ensuring the 
benefits are felt by all. The past year and a half have been an opportunity for 
us to strengthen understanding and dialog between local businesses, people, and 
global stakeholders to achieve a common understanding and create a more 
inclusive future for tourism," said Yu Tingting, deputy director of Sanya 
Tourism Promotion Board. 


One key approach Sanya has taken to create an inclusive tourism industry is the 
cultivation of its weddings industry. In 2020 alone, the region hosted over 
2,200 destination weddings and welcomed more than 260,000 couples and 200,000 
honeymooners. The Sanya Wedding Tourism Association has launched destination 
wedding packages complete with a ceremony, travel photography and honeymoon to 
meet the changing needs of modern millennial travelers. At the same time, Sanya 
is enabling couples to tailor their dream wedding with professional and 
exclusive wedding customization. Furthermore, official industry standards and a 
globally recognized talent certification system have also been launched to help 
local businesses and capture a greater share of the international destination 
weddings market.

Beyond modern cultural offerings, Sanya has taken steps to celebrate and pay 
homage to its unique history and culture through a major drawcard: the Yazhou 
Ancient City Cultural Festival. With a schedule including an international 
cultural tourism summit, national costume show, Yazhou folk song and music 
party, revamped Baoping Village market and more, the festival invites travelers 
to discover the stories, cultures and traditions that shaped Sanya into the 
place it is today. 

In addition, Sanya is tapping into the growing popularity of e-Sports and live 
music to ensure the destination remains relevant and inclusive for future 
generations. Earlier this year, the "Sanya x Game for Peace(the Chinese version 
of PUBG Mobile)" international marketing initiative has seen the destination 
partner with the burgeoning e-Sports industry to promote Sanya to a new segment 
of travelers. Sanya will also welcome sports fans and music fans from all walks 
of life with more featured beach and marine sports events, as well as various 
music festivals such as the Midi Music Festival. 

Looking ahead, the Sanya Tourism Promotion Board will continue to work 
hand-in-hand with local businesses, associations and cultural organizations to 
introduce more experiences for travelers. By inviting discovery of its ancient 
roots and adapting to contemporary travel and lifestyle trends, Sanya will 
build a more inclusive tourism sector where everyone can enjoy the social and 
economic benefits that travel brings.


SOURCE: Sanya Tourism Promotion Board

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