China's annual "Golden Week" (the holiday period centered around China's National Day) has long been a litmus test of economic performance. On October 6, Ctrip (one of China's largest tourism service websites) released its "Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day Tourism Summary Report". It shows that during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day "double holiday" (September 29 to October 6), the overall sales volume through its website and app for Hainan flights, hotels, and other tourism products increased by 212% over last year, with over 70% of sales coming from outside the province. Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Changsha were the largest sources of tourists to Hainan during the period.

Sales for Haikou-related tourism products increased by 132% year-on-year, while those for Sanya increased by 273%.

During the eight-day long holiday, Sanya’s Tianya Haijiao Tourist Area received a total of 103,000 tourists, setting a five-year record. About 16,000 tourists visited the area on October 1 alone, its highest-ever daily visitor numbers. The Hainan Provincial Museum in Haikou received more than 76,000 visitors, more than 13,000 of whom visited on October 1, setting a new record for the number of daily visitors to the museum. Danzhou's Ocean Flower Island Tourist Resort, a popular attraction in western Hainan in recent years, received more than 300,000 tourists, while Wenchang's Tongguling Scenic Area in the far east of the island saw close to 30,000 visitors.

Tianya Haijiao Scenic Area in Sanya (Photo: Wang Chenglong / Hainan Daily)

There's a wealth of exciting watersport activities for tourists to enjoy at Sanya's Tianya Haijiao Scenic Area. (Photo: Wang Chenglong / Hainan Daily)

In addition to tourist attractions, hotels and guesthouses also experienced a major influx of tourists. The "2023 Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day Holiday Tourism Report" released by Fliggy (a comprehensive travel and tourism service platform under Alibaba), also on October 6, shows that 4-and-5-star hotel bookings in Haikou increased by nearly 50% compared with the same period in 2019, and B&B bookings increased by more than 61%. In Sanya, guesthouse bookings increased by more than 118% compared with the same period in 2019.

While Hainan's stunning natural scenery is a big tourist draw, the island also held many events, such as concerts and cultural performances, during the holidays. The 14th Tour of Hainan Island International Road Cycling Race, which started on October 5, the Hainan Tanka Museum in Lingshui, which opened at the end of September, and the ethnic fashion show held in Wuzhishan City, also attracted many residents and tourists.

The Hainan Tanka Museum, which opened on September 22, is China’s first museum centered around the history and culture of the Tanka people. (Photo: Wang Chenglong / Hainan Daily)

The 14th Tour of Hainan International Road Cycling Race, which started on October 5, covers 781.1 km and takes in eleven cities and counties of Hainan over five days. (Photo: Hinews)

To provide tourists with a better travel experience in Hainan, the island province has also complemented its rich variety of high-quality tourism products with friendlier and more approachable tourism services. Just before the holidays, Hainan launched its advance compensation mechanism for tourism consumer complaints. Tourists can search for 海南放心游 ("Hainan Safe Travel") on WeChat or Alipay and log into the respective mini program to do things like look up reputable merchants, submit complaints, and receive advance compensation.