Global tourists flood Sanya for 2026 Spring Festival, enjoy China's growing openness

Global Times

Updated: 2026-03-03

Foreigners write Spring Festival couplets together with local calligraphers in Sanya, Hainan province, on Jan 31, 2026. [Photo/VCG]

Beneath a clear blue sky and turquoise sea, a gentle breeze ruffles the sand along Dadonghai beach in Sanya, South China's Hainan province. Visitors from around the world bask and lounge on the beach, soaking up some rare winter warmth and the sun's soft glow.

Russian tourist Kseniya Popova cradles a freshly cracked coconut, laughing with friends. She had just been in Sanya for two days, and was already captivated by the scenery. "The beach is just so beautiful," Popova said, drawing a deep breath and smiling.

Sanya had ridden a wave of international arrivals ahead of the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), which fell on Feb 17 this year. From the arrivals hall at the airport to the city's popular beaches, and from the eateries and bars that line the streets, even to the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy clinics tucked into alleyways, foreign faces and unfamiliar languages are everywhere.

This festival was also notable for another reason: It was the first CNY since the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) began its island-wide special customs operations in December 2025.

China is attracting more and more foreign tourists with its increasingly open, welcoming policies and its charming culture. Sanya, long regarded as Hainan's tourism crown jewel, has naturally become a major choice for many international visitors. "Here the whole atmosphere is great, and people are so friendly, shiny, and smiley," Popova said as she relaxed on the Dadonghai beach. "I love it."

Foreigners from countries including Russia, Belarus, Spain, Cyprus and the US experience Tai Chi in Sanya, Hainan province, on Jan 9, 2026. [Photo/VCG]

Popova is far from alone. As Chinese culture spreads its influence around the world, "celebrating CNY in China" is becoming a travel trend. During this year's Spring Festival holiday, China's border inspection authorities handled a total of 17.796 million entries and exits by Chinese and foreign nationals, averaging 1.977 million crossings per day, according to data released by China's National Immigration Administration. Of them, 1.313 million were foreign nationals, a 21.8 percent increase in the daily average compared with last year.

As for Sanya, its Phoenix International Airport Station of Immigration Inspection recorded 3,400 average daily entries and exits during the just-concluded CNY holiday, up 54.9 percent year-on-year.

Li Chuandong, head of a Sanya travel agency, stood in the arrivals hall with his foreign colleagues, speaking in fluent Russian. In recent weeks, he has been there until very late almost every day to pick up foreign tour groups. Li's company mainly handles visitors from Russian-speaking countries including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. He said he handles roughly 700 to 800 foreign visitors a day.

To date, China has granted unilateral visa-free access and signed mutual visa exemption agreements with 77 countries, according to data from the National Immigration Administration. The visa-free policy has encouraged more visitors to come to China and seek out deeper encounters in person. TCM therapy is one such draw. Near Sanya's Dadonghai beach, clinics offering acupuncture and cupping have been increasingly popular, and in many cases it’s a "must-try" on foreign tourists' itineraries.

What leaves a lasting impression for many is not only the culture, but also China's sense of safety and the warmth of its people. In Sanya, many visitors praised how safe, orderly, and friendly the city feels. "I can go everywhere at night. I had a walk yesterday at 2 am, and it was so safe, cozy, and calm everywhere. I wasn't scared," said Popova.

A view of Sanya, South China's Hainan province [Photo/VCG]

The Hainan FTP officially commenced its island-wide special customs operations on Dec 18, 2025. The launch marked a new stage in the development of the Hainan FTP, which enables the freer flow of goods, capital, personnel, and data, supported by zero tariffs, low tax rates, and a simplified tax system.

British entrepreneur David Adrian Janke, who has lived in Hainan since 2020, said the change has been striking. He said that, in recent years, Hainan authorities have largely optimized processes for foreigners to apply for work and residence permits. "They've made things easier," he said.

China continues to accelerate its pace of opening up in the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30). The 2026 Spring Festival is seeing a rising tide of foreign visitors choosing to celebrate the holiday in China. The country has responded by opening more air routes, streamlining immigration and customs procedures, and upgrading border services.

In Sanya, the Phoenix International Airport Station of Immigration Inspection expects more than 900 entry-and-exit flights, and over 140,000 passengers, during this year's Spring Festival travel rush (Feb 2 to March 13), according to station official Peng Hui.

That would represent increases of 46.5 percent and 50.3 percent year-on-year, respectively.To better serve global visitors, the station has rolled out a series of measures, such as dedicated channels for temporary transit entry permits, online pre-screening of group visa documents, multilingual signage in arrivals halls, and the deployment of officers fluent in foreign languages to provide guidance.

"China has shown, 'We are open, we want you to come, and we welcome you," Peng said.