Sanya recognised as exemplar of tourism entrepreneurship and innovation in mainland China
- The seaside resort destination was acknowledged for its services to the tourism industry at the 2023 China Tourism Group Development Forum in Shanghai
- The Sanya Tourism Board has recruited an international team to boost the number of inbound travellers
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]
Sanya, a popular seaside destination for tourists on the southern tip of mainland China’s Hainan Island, has been recognised for its entrepreneurial and innovative approach to tourism and its developments in destination tourism in 2023, at the 2023 China Tourism Group Development Forum held in Shanghai in December by the China Tourism Academy (CTA).
The CTA, which was founded in 2008, has been at the forefront of promoting policy development and international exchange in the tourism sector in mainland China, and instrumental in showcasing entrepreneurship and innovation in the industry. Sanya’s recognition for its entrepreneurial approach to advancing its tourism industry represents a beacon for other destinations seeking to embrace innovative approaches.
As part of its strategy to promote Sanya globally as a tourist destination, the Sanya Tourism Promotion Board was established in 2020, becoming the nation’s sole dedicated agency for destination marketing and promotion. In 2023, it was renamed the Sanya Tourism Board, and leverages its market-driven, specialised and international institutional mechanisms to explore new opportunities for the expansion of the region’s tourism industry through market research, business conventions and awards ceremonies, as well as events including festivals.
Since its establishment, the Sanya Tourism Board has collaborated with travel-related enterprises within the Sanya economic zone, as well as service industries such as hotels, dining outlets, duty-free shopping, cruise providers and transport networks.
In a bid to remain competitive among global tourism destinations, the board aims to enhance its core competencies by focusing on constructing a professional marketing system. This involves using a tourism data platform for market research to create targeted marketing strategies for specific customer groups and seize opportunities to grow the inbound tourism market. By closely linking and actively collaborating with enterprises, the Sanya Tourism Board has made significant contributions to the high-quality development of the region’s tourism industry.
