Sanya: China’s 2023 Tourism Innovation Leader

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

The 2023 China Tourism Group Development Forum convened in Shanghai from December 11 to 12. Sanya, a highly sought-after destination nestled at the southern tip of China’s Hainan Island, was designated as a trailblazer for tourism entrepreneurship and innovation in China for the year 2023 by the China Tourism Academy (“CTA”). This recognition stems from Sanya’s pioneering efforts in crafting innovative models for destination tourism development.

Established in 2008, the CTA has been at the forefront of fostering policy advancements and international exchanges within the tourism sector. It has diligently curated exemplary instances of entrepreneurial and innovative endeavors in tourism. Sanya’s inclusion as a model represents a guiding light for other destinations aspiring to embrace innovative approaches.

To bolster global promotion of Sanya’s tourism, the city established the Sanya Tourism Promotion Board in 2020, becoming the nation’s sole agency dedicated to destination marketing and promotion. By 2023, this board had evolved into the Sanya Tourism Board, harnessing its market-driven, specialized, and internationalized institutional mechanisms. This transformation aimed to uncover fresh prospects for the innovative growth of Sanya’s tourism through means like market research, business conventions, award ceremonies, festivals, media campaigns, route expansion, and broadening the tourist base.

Since its inception, the Sanya Tourism Board has collaborated closely with various travel-related enterprises within the Sanya economic zone, including accommodations, dining, transportation, attractions, duty-free shopping, and the cruise industry. Simultaneously, in its pursuit of competitiveness among global tourist destinations, the board continually enhanced its core competencies by focusing on building a professional marketing system. This involved employing a tourism data platform for in-depth market research, enabling the creation of targeted marketing strategies for specific customer segments and seizing opportunities to grow the inbound tourism market. By fostering close links and active partnerships with enterprises, the Sanya Tourism Board has made substantial contributions to the high-quality development of Sanya’s tourism industry.

In 2020, data analysis and market research revealed a notable shift toward a younger customer demographic. In response, Sanya launched the “Wonderland Sanya” campaign, a precisely tailored marketing effort catering to the travel interests and consumer preferences of this group. This campaign effectively attracted a significant influx of young tourists eager to explore Sanya’s diverse attractions. Additionally, Sanya collaborated with local tourism businesses to host innovative events, including the Sanya Tourism Festival, music festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, cultural and creative weeks, coffee festivals, diving festivals, and family-oriented seasons. These events not only showcased the city’s unique features but also stimulated tourist spending.

Furthermore, the Sanya Tourism Board has recruited exceptional talents with international perspectives and overseas work experience since its inception. Led by Albert Yip, the first globally recruited top executive in the Hainan Free Trade Port, over half of the team members possess overseas educational or professional backgrounds and are proficient in languages such as English, Russian, French, German, and Korean. With this high-caliber team, Sanya effectively employed three strategies to bolster its inbound tourism: subsidizing international routes, collaborating with top travel agencies, and enhancing global visibility through international media. This approach has successfully elevated Sanya’s global presence, drawing an increasing number of tourists from around the world.

CTA’s selection of Sanya as a model of entrepreneurship and innovation in China for 2023 not only acknowledges Sanya’s accomplishments but also underscores the city’s pivotal role in shaping the future landscape of Chinese tourism. This recognition stands as a testament to Sanya’s commitment to market-oriented collaboration, professional marketing, and the assembly of an internationalized team. The dedication of the Sanya Tourism Board has not only raised Sanya’s profile but has also established a benchmark for sustainable and innovative tourism development nationwide.

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