World Cup heats up Sanya's tourism market

The ongoing World Cup boosts tourism in Sanya, a resort city in South China's Hainan province. Sanya's tourism enterprises take this opportunity to launch various promotional events and inject vitality into the local cultural and tourism industries.

An outdoor camping and football event was held at the peak of Luhuitou Park from Nov 25 to 27 by Sanya tourism promotion board. Both locals and tourists alike could enjoy the 2022 World Cup live-stream events, football games, band performances, painting and food fairs.

The Sanya Tourism and Culture Group hosted the 2022 Sanya Beach Carnival at the Tianya Aquatic Sports Club in Tianya Haijiao Scenic Area. The group also launched the three-month-long Tianya Pier Sunset Fair, which not only brings a rich sports and tourism experience to tourists, but also allows the Tianya Aquatic Sports Club to use its venue at night and produce more income.

In addition to camping, watching matches at hotel venues has become popular. Sanya Haitang Bay Wanda Reign Resort Hotel launched many activities, such as a themed room for watching the World Cup, and a World Cup quiz. Mangrove Tree Resort World Sanya Bay and Atlantis Sanya have also launched some World Cup promotional products and themed activities.

Homestays in Sanya are growing in popularity as well. Sanya has become the most expensive city when it comes to homestays in China, with the average price per room per night exceeding 300 yuan ($42), according to the data on the Tongcheng tourist website. In addition, according to Ctrip data, bookings for video and audio rooms in Sanya increased by 95 percent during the World Cup.

The owner of a homestay in Maling Community surnamed Han said that thanks to the popularity of Tianya Aquatic Sports Club, his homestay has been fully occupied in recent days. In his view, the World Cup is helping the depressed tourism industry recover.