(Yicai) Aug. 30 -- The Chinese island getaway of Hainan province is likely to receive more foreign tourists next year than it did before the pandemic, as the number of international flights increases and thanks to the country’s visa waiver policies, an official at the city's tourism board said.

The resumption of international flights has been a major boost to the recovery of Sanya’s tourism industry, Zhang Hao, deputy director of the Sanya Tourism Board, told Yicai. Over one million international tourists are expected to visit the country’s southernmost destination, known as China’s Hawaii, next year, more than the 920,000 received in 2019.

In the first eight months, over 400,000 tourists visited Sanya and this number is expected to reach 600,000 for the whole year, Zhang said.

Sanya Phoenix International Airport has restarted 16 overseas routes this year, serving 14 destinations including Seoul, Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore and Moscow. And this number is expected to jump to 25 by the end of the year.

China’s visa waiver measures to certain countries have also given tourism a big boost. Last month China extended its 72 and 144 hour visa-free transit policy to foreign tourists visiting Hong Kong and Macao, to allow them to visit Hainan without a visa as part of a group tour.

Sanya has also been optimizing its tourism industry by granting free access to some well-known scenic spots such as the tropical paradise End of the Earth.

“Free tickets can attract more tourists,” Zhang said. “Meanwhile, it will also help us to develop more diverse forms of income, such as from catering, entertainment, events, performances and night markets, so that we are no longer just reliant on ticket sales.”

Editors: Dou Shicong, Kim Taylor