Euro influencers share great Hainan moments on Instagram

A group of European travel journalists and social media influencers is now midway through a thrilling eight-day tour of China’s southernmost Hainan province — and their posts are already painting a vivid picture of the island for audiences across Italy, France, the UK and beyond.

Great times: European travel journalists and social media influencers share Hainan province on Instagram. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Ambassador by surprise

For Italian travel photographer and content creator Gaia Consalvo — @gaiaconsalvo on Instagram — with 160,000+ followers, the highlight of the trip so far was something that she just didn’t see coming.

At an evening event, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Film and Sports of Hainan Province presented her with a Letter of Appointment, officially naming her a "2026 Hainan International Tourism Promotion Ambassador" for one year — from May 25, 2026 to May 25, 2027.

Sharing the moment on Instagram, she wrote: "A super surprise during the evening — the organization appointed me as International Ambassador for the Promotion of Hainan Tourism for the coming year... I can't wait to come back."

"Every place has been different"

Earlier in the tour, Consalvo also documented a morning visit to Qilou Old Street, in Haikou city, posting a video from the streets of the old quarter.

"This morning we went to Qilou, the historic district of Haikou — so very Southeast Asian!" she wrote. She noted that, with a blend of different styles, the roots of the architecture in the area can be traced back to the 19th century and that it was surprising to find such a distinct atmosphere within China. "Every place we've visited so far has been different," she marveled.

"An insane dream" at Wenchang

Italian travel vlogger Filippo Quitadamo — @filoquita on Instagram — with 120,000+ followers and 7-8 million monthly views, brought the excitement of the rocket launch to his followers in real time. Posting from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site ahead of the midnight launch, he appeared in astronaut gear alongside Consalvo, captioning the post simply: "Waiting for the launch with @gaiaconsalvo."

In a separate post from inside the space center's exhibition hall, a visibly moved Quitadamo spoke directly to camera. "You know how much I love the world of aviation — for me this is an insane dream," he said.

Keeping traditions alive

While the rocket launch dominated headlines, Italy-based China travel creator Nicola Morigi — @inviaggiocconnik on Instagram — with 70,000 followers, found meaning in something far older. Posting from a traditional weaving workshop, he shared a photo of himself at a loom, hands full of colorful threads, grinning.

"The ladies also had us do a mini workshop to teach us some basic stitches," he wrote. "Spoiler: It is incredibly difficult and physically demanding too, though it doesn't look it. But how wonderful that there are still people keeping these traditions alive."

Together, the posts capture what Hainan seems to offer in abundance: The cutting edge and the ancient, the spectacular and the intimate — and an island province that keeps surprising its visitors at every turn.