Sanya is strengthening its international connectivity with new airline partnerships and targeted incentives as the southern Chinese resort city positions itself as a growing hub for leisure travel and aviation-tourism integration.
That is the message from Visit Sanya, which attended Routes World 2025 in Hong Kong. As of September, Sanya Phoenix International Airport (SYX) is linked to 21 overseas destinations across 11 countries, according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.
The region received a major boost in July when Germany’s Condor inaugurated a Frankfurt–Bangkok–Sanya service with Airbus A330neos. The thrice-weekly operation represents Hainan’s first European fifth freedom route and marks Condor’s debut in China.
The service follows a memorandum of understanding signed by Condor, the Sanya Tourism Board and SYX to boost inbound tourism and cultural ties.
Looking ahead, Sanya plans to expand into new markets, targeting Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia and Russian-speaking regions. Target destinations include Kuala Lumpur, Cheongju, Busan and Minsk, while longer-term ambitions point to the Middle East, Oceania and additional European gateways.
To attract airlines, local authorities have introduced preferential policies such as takeoff and landing fee exemptions and bonded aviation fuel, alongside co-marketing campaigns and tourism product development.
Opportunities are also being driven by the Hainan Free Trade Port, which is liberalizing air rights and facilitating new route launches. Large-scale events—including the Travis Scott Circus Maximus Asia Tour, the Hainan Island International Film Festival and the 2026 Asian Beach Games—are expected to further raise the city’s global profile and stimulate demand.
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