As is well known, Sanya, located on Hainan Island, which belongs to the People's Republic of China, is the only tropical enclave and seaside tourist city in China. Its beauty and comfortable recreational offerings were presented in the Czech Republic at the beginning of March this year during a presentation meeting with Czech journalists specializing in tourism, and selected travel agencies by Chinese partners from the Hainan delegation. The general public learned about the opportunity for recreation and experiential vacations in this new destination, which was previously not very well known to Czechs, at the 34th International Tourism Fair HOLIDAY WORLD in Prague Letňany a few days later.
Third time's the charm
After Prague, this new tourist attraction was also presented in Bratislava and Budapest. These capital cities of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary became three stops on a European roadshow, aimed at introducing the unique Chinese island to both tourism professionals and potential tourists and travelers.
The Prague part of the program took place on September 7th at NH Collection Prague Carlo IV and offered the largest meeting of the entire series. Twelve partners from this tropical island of dreams arrived in Prague, representing hotels, tourist attractions, and travel organizations.
This extraordinary event continued on September 9th in Bratislava and on September 11th in Budapest. Both meetings had a more intimate format of round tables, which created space for more direct discussions and conversations between representatives of Hainan and local partners. In Bratislava, the roadshow was attended by three dozen representatives of travel agencies and tour operators, while in Budapest, there were another twenty professionals from the travel trade.
From workshops to one-on-one meetings
The individual stops were not simply copies of the same program. While Prague offered a more extensive workshop and networking event, Bratislava and Budapest focused on more intense personal contact. The common goal of all three events was to present Hainan as a destination that the island aims to gradually bring closer to travel agencies and tour operators, but also, through their offerings, to Central European individuals interested in new experiences and lovers of tourism.
Hainan offers a combination of tropical climate, beaches, and resorts with opportunities for wellness, sports, and exploring unique nature and delicious local cuisine. Its increasing accessibility and direct air connections from Prague with SCAT Airlines are also significant for the Czech market.
The entire promotional series, described in these lines, showed the potential of individual Central European markets. Together, the three stops of this event managed to reach a wide spectrum of professionals in the tourism industry, from the large Prague meeting attended by nearly one hundred representatives of travel agencies, media, and other specialists in the field of tourism, to the programs in Slovakia and Hungary.
What we should know
Hainan Island is full of untouched and lush nature. It is separated from mainland China by a strait that is about twenty kilometers wide. The southern part of the island, Sanya, is a bustling beach resort with three excellent beaches: Dadonghai, Sanya Bay, and Yalong Bay. The local offer of experiential and sightseeing tourism is complemented by a geopark, created by a cluster of more than 40 volcanoes. Visitors can explore the lava caves or hike to the edge of one of the extinct volcanoes and enter the crater itself. The tropical rainforests of Hainan Island invite you on hikes around waterfalls or an adventurous journey along swaying suspension bridges.
As we have already mentioned, Hainan is a southern island province of the People's Republic of China, which extends over several islands and archipelagos in the South China Sea. The largest of these is Hainan itself, with a population of approximately 10 million people.
Although there are two airports on Hainan Island, it is possible to travel here from mainland China by train. More information can be found at: www.visitsanya.com
Ivan Černý