International tourists flock to Sanya's shopping districts

Foreign tourists browse a selection of stylish clothes at Sanya Joy City on July 6. [Photo/Sanya Daily]

The ever-popular resort of Sanya has been working hard in recent years to establish itself as a world-famous, livable, tourist-friendly and business-friendly modern coastal city.

The city also keeps expanding its international openness, attracting hordes of foreign tourists for sightseeing and vacations.

With the new departure tax refund policy taking effect on July 1, the inbound tourism market in Sanya is now really heating up.

Shopping districts like Sanya Joy City are seeing a noticeable increase in foreign visitors, creating a truly international shopping atmosphere.

Preliminary estimates show that in the first five months of this year, Sanya received 599,600 inbound passenger trips, a 51.5 percent increase compared with the previous year.

Spending by inbound tourists shot up to $560 million, up 71.5 percent year-on-year.