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Hainan’s Sanya becomes leading cruise destination in China

A total of 68 cruise ships visited the city and 155,000 people crossed the border in the first quarter of 2024, according to China News Service

The Resorts World One cruise ship departing from Hong Kong arrived in Sanya with more than 1,800 tourists, September 25, 2023 Sanya Daily

The Resorts World One cruise ship departing from Hong Kong arrived in Sanya with more than 1,800 tourists, September 25, 2023

SANYA, April 30. /TASS/. In the first quarter of 2024 the southern Chinese resort of Sanya (Hainan Province) for the first time joined the country's top three cities regarding the number of foreign tourists arriving on cruise ships, China News Service reported.

According to the news agency, a total of 68 cruise ships visited the city over this period, while 155,000 people crossed the border. This makes it the third PRC port in terms of overseas tourist arrivals after Shanghai and Tianjin.

In January this year, the cruise ship Mengxiang (“Dream”), operated by a Hong Kong company, started regular cruises from Sanya to Vietnam. Namely, to cities such as Hue, Nha Trang and Da Nang, as well as Halong Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin. The liner also operates regular flights to Hong Kong.

The ship has a total tonnage of 77,400 tons. It has 15 decks and over 1 thousand rooms, which can accommodate more than 2.2 thousand passengers. It is currently the largest cruise ship assigned to Hainan port. Ticket prices vary depending on the package, ranging from 19,900 yuan ($267) to 16,800 yuan ($2,300) per person. The ship's utilization rate averages over 75%, and reaches 90% on some flights, China News Service noted.

On June 1, 2020, the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the State Council of China published a program creating the Hainan free trade port. The document provides for the establishment of a special customs zone on this tropical island. The PRC authorities plan to complete the construction of a free port on the territory of the province in 2025, when the island is expected to have a a developed system of free trade and investment. By 2035, Hainan plans to offer freedom of trade and investment, cross-border capital movement, travel, and cargo transportation.

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