Hainan hosts overseas tour operators for cultural exchange

Sanya co-hosts the kickoff event for the "Hello! China" - 2024 Silk Road Tourism Overseas Promotion Season and Hainan Sanya Tourism Welcome Ceremony on June 24 and showcases Hainan's abundant cultural heritage, tourism offerings, and the latest inbound tourism policies to international audiences. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Over 400 international travel agency delegates from 28 countries and regions are participating in the Overseas Tour Operators Hainan Tour 2024, a week-long event in Hainan province that fosters cultural and tourism exchanges.

Under the theme of "Travel to meet the world", the event showcases a range of activities, including the China-Foreign Travel Trade Negotiation Event, the launch of the "Hello! China" - 2024 Silk Road Tourism Overseas Promotion Season, the Hainan Sanya Tourism Welcome Ceremony, and the promotion of Hainan tourism routes and products. It seeks to broaden the international tourism market in Hainan and enhance overseas precision marketing efforts.

Hainan, a key hub of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, is promoting the strategic alignment of Belt and Road Initiative cooperation and free trade port construction, aiming to establish a more extensive pattern of engagement with the global community.

"Hainan stands as a historical cornerstone for tourism advancement," remarked Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, at the event. As China's sole tropical island province, Hainan showcases distinctive tropical rainforest, wetland, and marine ecosystems teeming with biodiversity.

Dai highlighted the province's wealth of essential components for tourism resorts - encompassing sunshine, seawater, beaches, greenery and fresh air - along its coast. With over 60 potential locations from Haikou to Sanya ripe for development into seaside tourism, Hainan emerges as a promising destination for tourism growth and exploration.

Hainan also emerges as a modern exemplar in tourism innovation, showcasing many upscale tourist attractions, resorts and leisure hubs that enhance eco-tourism, night tourism, rural tourism, and road tourism product offerings, according to Dai.

Notable developments include establishing island-wide tourist stations, the tourism-focused revamp of the Western Ring railway, and the passenger traffic exceeding 20 million at both Sanya and Haikou airports. As Dai highlighted, these advancements underscore Hainan's dedication to crafting a vibrant and versatile tourism destination.

Dai added that the province showcases a robust infrastructure comprising cruise terminals, yacht harbors, diving hotspots, luxury hotels, duty-free stores and well-known tourist cities like Sanya, Haikou and Sansha.

Tony Zheng, general manager of Discover the Beauty of China, an Australian travel agency, said that Hainan has long been a destination of interest for Australian tourists. In recent years, Hainan has focused on overseas tourism promotion, enhancing tourism facilities, and implementing visa-free entry policies.

"The natural environment, clean air, hotel resorts, and the allure of the mysterious tropical rainforests are all attractions drawing Australian visitors to the island," he added.