International arrivals to China's southern island province of Hainan have surged over the past month, as island-wide special customs operations and expanded air links draw a growing number of overseas visitors to the tropical destination.
While much of the Northern Hemisphere remains in winter, beaches in coastal Sanya City in Hainan offer a warm escape.
Anna, who hails from Russia with her family, said their top priority was heading to the sea at Yalong Bay, a coastal tourist resort in Sanya.
"This is our family's first time in China. What we want the most is to go to the sea at Yalong Bay. I feel very warm now," Anna said.
Hainan offers visa-free access to citizens from 86 countries, making it one of the most generous entry arrangements in China. Nationwide, more than 70 percent of foreign visitors now enter China visa-free, while in Hainan the figure exceeds 90 percent. The convenience is already turning first-time visitors into repeat travelers.
"This is our second time in Sanya. It's very good and beautiful, and the food is very delicious," said Nandin-Erdene, a tourist from Mongolia.
According to immigration authorities, inbound foreign arrivals to Hainan jumped 60 percent year on year in the first month after the island-wide special customs operations began in December 2025, reaching more than 70,000 visits.
A key driver of this growth has been the rapid expansion of air links. Over the past year, the island added 22 international routes, bringing the total to 92.
Market activity has picked up noticeably, said Marchuk Igor, Sanya office representative of Kazakhstan-based Scat Airlines.
"With the implementation of Hainan's island-wide special customs policies and the continued optimization of cross-border aviation policies, market activity has increased significantly compared with the same period last year. Passenger inquiries and bookings have risen by nearly 20 percent," he said.
Scat Airlines now operates the Sanya-Prague route, a rare case of a carrier flying passengers directly between two foreign countries via China. The route is the first of its kind in the country and reflects Hainan's efforts to further open its aviation market.
To cope with rising visitor numbers, infrastructure upgrades are underway at ports of entry.
At Sanya Phoenix International Airport, authorities have added 17 new inspection channels and introduced an intelligent inspection assistance system.
"[We've added] 17 new inspection channels, got all channels equipped with professional devices, and independently developed an intelligent [inspection assistance system.] This has increased both capacity and clearance efficiency," said Leng Jiang, an immigration officer at the airport.
Long popular with domestic tourists, Hainan is now seeing its beaches and resorts attract a growing international crowd, as preferential policies and measures reshape the island into a more global travel hub.
Int'l arrivals surge in Hainan following customs policy changes
