'Discovering the Tropics of China': Panel Discussion on Sanya Tourism Held at WTM London

On November 5th, 2018, a panel discussion themed “Discovering the Tropics of China” was held at the Asia Inspiration Zone at the World Travel Market (WTM) London, the leading global event for the travel industry..

Under the guidance of the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports, the session was jointly held by the Sanya Tourism Development Commission and CNBC. Attendees included Dr. Guido Brettschneider, CEO of TUI China; Kris Van Goethem, Director Inbound, MICE of Thomas Cook China; and Rudolf Gimmi, General Manager of Shangri-La Resort and Spa, Sanya, China. They delivered speeches and discussed topics such as “What are the characteristics of Sanya and other Southeast Asian cities?”; “Has Sanya grown into a luxury tourist destination?”; and “What tourism opportunities can Hainan’s 30-day visa-free policy for 59 countries bring to Sanya?

The guests discussed key factors for the success of China’s tropical tourism market. They also discussed Sanya’s tourism market, and explored ways to further enhance the internationalization of Sanya’s tourism industry, its development trends, and future opportunities.

Wang Ke, Director of the International Market Promotion Division of the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports, said that as China’s only tropical tourism city, Sanya is developing into an international consumption center. The city has opened 33 international air routes, and over 50 international hotel brands operate in Sanya; Thomas Cook opened a branch office in Sanya on October 15th, 2018. Sanya’s tourism industry is growing rapidly thanks to its superior tourism resources and a series of government incentives such as the construction of the Hainan free trade zone (port) and the Hainan 30-day visa-free entry policy for people from 59 countries.