Sanya, China has been actively expanding its appeal as a world-class tourist destination, particularly through the introduction of new international air routes.

On October 8, 2025, the inaugural flights for the “Sanya-Minsk” route occurred, followed by two additional routes to “Ulaanbaatar” and “Kuala Lumpur”. This rapid development marks a strategic effort by the city to penetrate Central Asian, European, and Southeast Asian markets more effectively.

In total, Sanya has launched 38 international routes connecting it with major cities such as Bangkok, Frankfurt, Seoul, and St. Petersburg, greatly increasing its global connectivity.

Notably, Sanya is leveraging influencer marketing to promote these travel routes, having collaborated with aviation influencers to create engaging travel content. This strategy yielded over 10 million impressions by August, gaining traction on multiple social media platforms.

During summer, while other regions faced extreme heat, Sanya’s favorable maritime climate attracted visitors, with forest coverage exceeding 70% and average temperatures around 26°C (78.8°F).

A German tourist, Mark, noted, “The breeze in Sanya feels like nature’s air conditioning!” His trip was inspired by the trending “Frankfurt-Bangkok-Sanya” flight route on Instagram.

The Sanya Tourism Board is promoting its distinct offerings through targeted strategies for each flight region, ensuring diverse tourism products are made available to cater to various preferences. For example, partnerships with platforms like Meituan for discounted travel packages and customized tourism products for Hong Kong have driven increasing visitor numbers.

By Q3 2025, Sanya welcomed over 700,000 international overnight visitors, reaping significant economic benefits, including more than $600 million in spending.

Furthermore, the expansion of Sanya Phoenix International Airport is underway to enhance passenger capacity to 30 million. The city’s officials anticipate introducing even more diversified tourism experiences soon.