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By CHEN BOWEN | chinadaily.com.cn |
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International guests attend Russian Night at Atlantis Sanya in Sanya, Hainan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Two nights of borscht, folk dancing, and Russian music drew hundreds to Atlantis Sanya in Hainan province on June 12-13 as the resort courted a booming Russian tourist market with a Russian Night event.
The pop-up featured more than 40 classic dishes alongside folk music and themed decor. Guests immersed themselves in Russian culture by singing along and joining group dances.
International guests attend Russian Night at Atlantis Sanya in Sanya, Hainan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The event was organized to tap a surging inbound market. Fueled by China's multiple visa-free options and expanded direct flights from Russia, travel bookings to China from Russian tourists jumped more than 118 percent year-on-year in the first four months of 2026.
International guests attend Russian Night at Atlantis Sanya in Sanya, Hainan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
At Atlantis Sanya, room nights from Russian-speaking guests soared nearly 300 percent from January to May. "Catering to Russian-speaking guests is essential to our international development," said Heiko Roeder, managing director of Atlantis Sanya.
The resort is rolling out accommodations to manage the rising demand, including Russian menu updates across multiple restaurants, multilingual services, cross-border payment options, and activities like the recent cultural night.
International guests attend Russian Night at Atlantis Sanya in Sanya, Hainan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The event doubled as support for Sanya's broader ambition to become a global tourism hub. With tourism promotion offices in Russia and Belarus, Sanya is deepening cultural and people-to-people ties.
On May 23, the resort opened the Sea Turtle Shelter, a conservation facility led by an international team that is focused on building up the species' population. The shelter doubles as a summer study tour venue, with interactive marine education for families.
A foreign guest undergoes a session of TCM treatment at the TCM wellness center jointly launched by Atlantis Sanya and the Sanya Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Sanya, Hainan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
The resort has also partnered with the Sanya Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital to launch a TCM wellness center offering acupuncture, moxibustion, and tuina massage. A separate partnership with Peking University School and the Sanya branch of the Hospital of Stomatology provides dental care.
International guests attend Russian Night at Atlantis Sanya. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
International guests attend Russian Night at Atlantis Sanya. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
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