HAIKOU, /China/, September 9. /TASS/. The number of Russian tourists visiting the southern Chinese province of Hainan from January through August increased by 68.8% year-over-year, reaching 512,000, Hainan Ribao reported.
According to the newspaper, the island welcomed more Russians in eight months than it did in all of 2025. The article noted that the resort city of Sanya, located on the southern coast of the province, remains the most popular vacation destination for Russian and other foreign tourists.
Official figures show that nearly 1.3 million foreign visitors traveled to Hainan during the reporting period, a 44.4% increase compared to the same period last year. Hainan Ribao pointed out that the visa-free entry policy is one of the key drivers behind this strong growth.
Russia remains the top source of international tourist traffic to Hainan. The island has direct air service to Russia on 11 routes, including flights from Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kazan. More than 20 flights depart weekly from Russia to China’s southernmost province.
Another “pillar” of Hainan’s inbound tourism is Belarus. From January through August, approximately 36,000 Belarusian citizens visited the island, marking a 127% year-over-year increase. The newspaper emphasized from August 31 to September 5, a delegation from the Hainan Province Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports toured Minsk, Moscow, and St. Petersburg to hold events aimed at strengthening ties and exchanging experiences. In St. Petersburg, a coordination office was opened to promote tourism in Sanya abroad. The delegation gave special presentations and participated in the 32nd International Tourism Forum and Exhibition Leisure 2026, which took place in Moscow in early September. In addition, meetings and consultations were held with relevant government agencies, airlines, and Russian and Belarusian tour operators.
Thus, according to Hainan Ribao, the Hainan Free Trade Port continues to strengthen its ties with Russia and other countries in the field of tourism and to promote practical cooperation with key markets in the Russian-speaking region. This collaboration has sparked growing interest in the global community, which is learning more about the island’s unique resources and advantages, including distinctive features of safe and enriching tropical beach vacations, as well as measures to increase tourist traffic and develop duty-free trade, wellness tourism, and other forms of tourism. The Hainan authorities emphasized that the island will continue to improve and modernize tourism products tailored to the preferences of Russian and Belarusian residents, as well as strengthen long-term cooperation with these countries.
