Sports, entertainment events promote inbound travel in S China's Hainan

"I arrived in China through the visa-free policy, which was very convenient," said Grace, a Thai athlete who came to south China's Hainan Province to participate in a sailing race earlier this month.

Grace mentioned that many of her friends have taken advantage of the visa-free policy to visit Hainan for vacation. She planned to stay in Hainan for 10 days this time, and in addition to the competition, she also explored the local customs and culture.

The 2024 ILCA Asian Open Championship concludes in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, on Dec. 20. 2024. Over 200 athletes from 18 countries and regions of the world participated in the event. (China News Service/Luo Yunfei)

Since the start of winter, sports events have been held in Hainan. Cities and counties across the province have hosted various marathon events. The first marathon event in Boao town of Qionghai city attracted nearly 10,000 runners from nine countries, including the U.S., Singapore, and Malaysia.

In Hainan, the excitement isn't limited to just sports events; entertainment activities are also thriving. American singer Kanye West's live music show in Haikou, American singer Charlie Puth's concert in Haikou, which marked the first stop of his Asian tour debut, and the performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra in Haikou have all added to the buzz. These events have drawn many people to follow the performances and explore Hainan.

Since the beginning of this year, the popularity of inbound tourism in Hainan has been on the rise. Official statistics show that from January to November this year, Hainan welcomed over 900,000 inbound tourist visits, marking a year-on-year increase of over 130 percent.

Chen Tiejun, director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Film and Television and Sports, said that the surge in popularity of "Hainan Travel" can be attributed to the comprehensive implementation of a range of policies by the Hainan Free Trade Port, especially the visa-free policy.

Starting Feb. 9, visitors from 59 countries are allowed to enter Hainan visa-free for purposes including business, a tourist visit, visiting a relative, medical treatment, an exhibition or sports. Such visitors can stay in Hainan for up to 30 days.

In July, Hainan introduced a 144-hour visa-free policy for foreign tourist groups entering the province from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. Starting Dec. 17, China has implemented a significant relaxation of the visa-free transit policy, extending the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers to 240 hours. Two airports in Hainan have been designated for visa-free entry and exit, and the areas in which transit travelers can stay have been expanded to cover the whole province.

The Qionghai Boao Marathon 2024 kicks off in Boao town, Qionghai city, south China's Hainan Province, on Dec. 22, 2024. (China News Service/Luo Yunfei)

International visitors arriving in Hainan can easily pay for taxi rides with foreign bank cards and find detailed information at tourist attractions through prominently displayed multilingual signs. These upgraded facilities and services guarantee that tourists from abroad have a smooth and enjoyable travel experience while visiting Hainan.