Sanya among China's top flight destinations for Spring Festival

As the 2026 Chinese New Year fast approaches, people's desire to travel continues to grow and the resort city of Sanya, located in China's Southernmost Hainan province, is once again in the limelight.

With its unique natural advantages and fresh appeal in the wake of the launch of island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port on Dec 18, 2025 — Sanya has made into the top 10 popular domestic flight destinations during the Spring Festival as countless tourists pick the city for a warm getaway.

Tourists play on the beach at Wuzhizhou Island in Sanya. [Photo/VCG]

According to data from Qunar, hotel bookings in Sanya during the Spring Festival have nearly doubled compared with the previous year as tourists flock to the city to enjoy its natural and cultural beauty.

Hotel bookings around the Nanshan Buddhist Temple/Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City area in Sanya is growing at a speed that is unrivalled in China, as the area's top tourism attraction, the Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy) statue that faces the South China Sea, is a must-see for visitors seeking divine blessing.

The Sanya Dadonghai scenic area/Luhuitou scenic area/Banshan Peninsula area — ideal for family trips to enjoy sea views — also saw a big upshop in hotel booking, placing it among the top in the country.

In terms of inbound tourism, Sanya is also performing remarkably well. The latest data showed that for the Spring Festival, bookings for inbound flights to Sanya have increased by 52 percent year-on-year — highlighting Hainan's strong appeal to international tourists.

Sanya Phoenix International Airport's Terminal 3 begins trial operations. [Photo/VCG]

Sanya Phoenix International Airport is also actively coordinating with airlines to increase its capacity and continuously optimizing flight arrangements from major source markets in order to fully meet the travel demands of passengers during the Spring Festival.