New visa policies power up Sanya's inbound tourism

China's new visa-free policies are continuing to flow, driving a fresh wave of prosperity that is powering up inbound tourism in Sanya.

China announced on Dec 17 that it will fully relax and optimize its visa-free transit policy, effective immediately. The stay duration for foreign nationals eligible for visa-free transit has been extended from 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days.

The number of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities that can be visited under this policy has increased from the original 19 to 24. What's more, the five newly added provinces covered by the policy include Hainan.

Additionally, 21 ports of entry and exit have been added for visa-free transit individuals – including Haikou Meilan International Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport in Hainan province.

As a result, more international tourists are flocking to the tourism city. They're sharing their experiences through videos and vlogs, effectively becoming “global ambassadors” for Sanya tourism.

Recently, at the Global Travelers Conference, Sanya was listed as one of China's top 10 cities preferred by overseas visitors. Moreover, at Booking.com's 2025 Future Travel Trends event, Sanya emerged as the sole Chinese city among the top 10 trending global destinations.

In the first three quarters of the current year, Sanya welcomed 500,500 overnight inbound tourists, representing a 2.2-fold increase year-on-year.

The total spend by these visitors hit $354 million, a whopping 4.5-fold surge compared with the previous year.

Vietnamese tourists arrive in Sanya from Hong Kong, smoothly passing through customs. [Photo/Sanya Daily]