The 6th Asian Beach Games Sanya 2026 officially opens in Sanya on 22 April, 2026. It is the first major international sporting event since the launch of the island-wide special customs operations of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), and, more significantly, the first comprehensive continental-level beach sports event hosted by Hainan since the province's founding.

As the largest and most influential beach multi-sport event in Asia, choosing Sanya as this year’s host city is no accident. It highlights the city's remarkable natural resources, ongoing enhancements in urban infrastructure, and an open, progressive development strategy. The match between the Games' values and the city's capabilities is evident.

Coastal Resources: A Natural Home for Beach Sports

Centered on beach sports, the Asian Beach Games places strict requirements on a host city’s ecological and beach conditions, requiring high-quality sand suitable for top-tier competition and a firm commitment to sustainable environmental practices.

In this regard, Sanya offers an almost tailor-made natural environment. Its superior coastal resources are the cornerstone for hosting the Games.

The city features a long, gorgeous, scenic coastline, including the 22-kilometre Sanya Bay, often called the “Coconut Dream Corridor." This natural setting offers expansive, flat, and uninterrupted beaches with soft, fine, and clean sand, meeting all the criteria for sports such as Beach Volleyball and Beach Soccer.

Building on these advantages, six out of eight competition venue clusters for Sanya 2026 are situated along the Sanya Bay coastline, creating a cohesive and coordinated event layout. Athletes will compete amid gentle sea breezes and warm sunshine, while spectators can enjoy top-level competition alongside breathtaking coastal views, effortlessly blending sport and natural beauty.

Sanya’s robust ecological foundation further strengthens its winning hand. As an early participant in the United Nations’ “20 Cities Towards Zero Waste” initiative, Sanya offers a scalable model for sustainable coastal urban growth.

Test events have already seen athletes from different countries sharing their appreciation: “The sunshine is perfect, the sand is soft, and the climate is ideal; this is truly a natural venue for beach sports,” one participant commented. While another said, “It’s a pleasure to compete in such a beautiful setting.”

Urban Strength: A Solid Foundation for a Continental Event

A solid foundation for a successful international event is built through comprehensive infrastructure, effective organisational capacity, and high-quality service systems.

Vinod Kumar Tiwari, Deputy Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia, stated at the Chefs de Mission Seminar on December 1, 2025, that both the competition venues and support facilities adhere to international standards. He also highlighted that services such as reception, volunteer training, and multilingual support all showcase the host city's hospitality and openness to the world.

Sanya has developed a comprehensive venue system that meets all competition requirements. In addition to the coastal venue clusters along Sanya Bay, the Sanya Sports Centre Gymnasium will host 3x3 Basketball, while the Sanya River will stage Dragon Boat events, ensuring full coverage across all disciplines.

In terms of connectivity, Sanya Phoenix International Airport offers extensive domestic and international routes, including 35 international air links, providing convenient access for athletes, officials, media representatives, and visitors from across Asia and beyond.

The city also has a strong track record in hosting major sporting events. In recent years, Sanya has hosted events such as the Hainan Golf Open, World Boxing championships, the China Tennis Tour, and Formula E, gaining essential experience in event planning, management, and emergency preparedness.

To ensure high standards for hosting Sanya 2026, a three-tier coordination system has been set up at the national, provincial, and municipal levels. This creates an efficient and cohesive organisational framework to advance the preparations.

As Sanya evolves into a global tourism hub, it has standardised its services to international benchmarks, upgraded overall service quality, expanded multilingual support, and bolstered quick-response systems for tourists, ensuring professional, polished service for every visitor.

Sanya’s strong overall urban capacity gives it a significant advantage in hosting the Asian Beach Games. Thanks to its solid infrastructure, effective organisational skills, and excellent service support, the city has both the ability and confidence to host an event that highlights Asian spirit, Chinese characteristics, and the unique charm of Hainan and Sanya.

Against this backdrop, choosing Sanya as the host appears not just natural but inevitable.

Openness is a Bridge that Connects the World

Major international sporting events function as both competitive platforms and symbols of a host city’s global engagement. Choosing Sanya highlights a key principle: hosting a successful international event depends on an open, inclusive, and vibrant community.

As part of the Hainan FTP, Sanya plays a key role in China’s high-level opening-up strategy. Hosting the Asian Beach Games sends a clear message to Asia and the world that China is dedicated to greater openness and enhanced international cooperation, and the Hainan FTP Port vividly exemplifies this commitment.

A city that values openness is the only one capable of hosting events that connect with a larger audience, enhance experiences, and leave a durable impression.

With the implementation of island-wide special customs operations, measures such as expanded zero-tariff coverage, simplified customs procedures, and easier cross-border travel are transforming the vision of an “open Hainan” into a real, tangible achievement.

In this context, Sanya offers an inclusive and interactive platform for exchanges among countries and regions throughout Asia.

Dutch journalist Jacob de Groot personally witnessed these advantages during the World Press Briefing and World Broadcasters Meeting for Sanya 2026 in January. “Thanks to the visa-free policy, I was able to enter Hainan easily and efficiently,” he remarked, emphasising that these measures demonstrate China’s dedication to openness and showcase the immense potential of the Hainan FTP.

Sanya 2026 is leveraging sport as a bridge and openness as its foundation to turn policy benefits into tangible support for international exchange.

During the Games, visa-free entry will be fully available for 86 countries, enabling easy travel for athletes, media, and visitors.

Visitors can enjoy the vibrant and energetic atmosphere of beach sports while also experiencing duty-free shopping, premium tourism services, and leisure activities. This provides firsthand insight into the opportunities and vibrancy created by the development of the Hainan FTP.

This celebration of sport will showcase Sanya’s coastal beauty and sporting passion, while highlighting the vitality energised by openness, the momentum from reform and innovation, and the enormous potential developed through global participation.