Therapeutic tourism has become trendy vacation for foreign tourists in south China's Sanya City with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) favored as the best-chosen therapy, which lure growing streams of tourists for relaxation, refreshment and rehabilitation.
Inbound tourism has been recovering in Sanya since the resumption of international flights in July 2023 following the pandemic waning.
Additionally, the loosening restrictions of visa policies in Hainan has also contributed to the surge of inbound tourists.
Hainan, a popular tourist destination known for its rain-forests and vacation beaches, has expanded its visa-free policy for citizens from 59 countries.
Like many tourist attractions, TCM clinics in Sanya have also witnessed a notable increase in the number of international visitors.
In some clinics, foreign visitors even account for as much as two-thirds of the total number of patients.
"We come from Russia. My waist hurts, but after receiving treatment here for four days, I'm feeling a bit better. Now, it's convenient to come to Sanya due to the visa-free policy," said a tourist from Russia.
To enhance the convenience of medical services for international visitors, certain TCM hospitals and clinics in Sanya have implemented measures such as offering translation services and accepting foreign card payments through POS machines.
"We have established a treatment department specifically designed to cater to the needs of foreign visitors. This department offers translation services in both English and Russian, making it easier for them to receive treatment," said Sa Ren, deputy head with Sanya International Friendship Sanatorium of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
In the first half of 2024, Sanya received a total of 319,800 overnight inbound tourists, spending a total of 225.41 million U.S. dollars, according to data from the department of tourism, culture, radio, television and sports in Sanya.
Therapeutic tourism becomes trendy vacation for foreign tourists in Sanya
