This year’s Spring Festival was the first since the Hainan Free Trade Port implemented island-wide special customs operations in December, 2025. Seizing this opportunity, Hainan held more than 300 cultural, tourism, and sports activities. From traditional New Year’s folk customs to exciting sporting events, seaside vacations, and countryside experiences, the many, diverse offerings catered to different ages and consumer groups, creating a lively, festive atmosphere, boosting travel industry development and delivering a strong start to the Year of the Horse.

During the holiday, visitors flocked to scenic locations such as Tianya Haijiao in Sanya to enjoy special New Year performances.

According to data from travel platform Fliggy, during the Spring Festival period in Hainan:

• Ticket purchases increased by 78% year-on-year

• Hotel room bookings grew by nearly 60% year-on-year

• Customized tour bookings were up over 200% year-on-year

• Some of the fastest increases in bookings occurred in Lingshui, Tunchang, and Chengmai counties.

At the same time, outbound trips by Hainan residents nearly doubled year-on-year, highlighting surges in both inbound and outbound travel.

At Daxiao Dongtian Park in Sanya, visitors took photos at popular spots throughout the holiday.

Data from travel website LY.com also showed strong upward momentum, with hotel bookings across Hainan rising over 70% year-on-year. According to Tuniu’s 2026 Spring Festival Travel Consumer Report, Sanya ranked among the Top 10 most popular domestic travel destinations during the holiday.

The Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and Botanical Garden welcomed many travelers looking to explore nature and enjoy interactive experiences.

Immersive vacation experiences and a strong festive atmosphere throughout the island were some of the main causes for the impressive travel figures.

In Haikou’s Historic Qilou Street area, red lanterns were hung beneath the arcades of the Southeast Asian style buildings. The weathered walls and skillfully carved facades formed a striking contrast, creating one of the most photogenic scenes of the season. Groups of travelers wandered along the historic street, soaking up the century-old charm and vibrant local life.

“Spending the New Year in Haikou means you can enjoy beautiful scenery and tasty cuisine while learning about Hainan’s intangible cultural heritage. It’s truly a special experience,” said visitor Liang Chunye from Heilongjiang, who spent the day of the Spring Festival in the Qilou Historic Street area to experience a unique island-style Chinese New Year.

At Changying Wonderland, many visitors joined in traditional bamboo pole dances, adding to the festive spirit.

Family trips were another major highlight this year. The Guochao (popular Chinese culture) intangible cultural heritage temple fair at Changying Wonderland, along with the interactive “Cute Pony Squad” science programs at Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park and Botanical Garden proved especially popular with kids, becoming must-visit destinations for family travelers.

This year’s tropical island celebrations also carried a distinctly international flair.

According to travel platform Qunar, inbound travel to Sanya remained strong throughout the holiday. The number of non-Chinese purchasing flights to more than tripled year-on-year. Visiting temple fairs, pasting up Spring Festival couplets, and tasting festive treats—experiencing authentic Chinese New Year traditions in Hainan is becoming an increasingly attractive option for international visitors.

At the Tianya Haijiao Scenic Area, travelers posed for photos and joined in a variety of New Year’s activities.

Under the theme “Good Fortune at Tianya, Blessings of the Horse,” the Tianya Haijiao Scenic Area blended signature “Good Fortune at Tianya” cultural elements with traditional New Year blessing customs. The result was an immersive Spring Festival carnival that combined interactive experiences, traditional Chinese cultural performances, themed photo spots, and special holiday offers, drawing large numbers of visitors from both near and far.

Dadonghai Beach in Sanya was also a major hotspot, especially for young travelers. During the Spring Festival holiday, the beach was packed with international tourists and became synonymous with beach parties and trendy experiences.

“I love Sanya! The climate here is warm and comfortable—perfect for a vacation,” said Maria, a visitor from Russia, sharing her affection for the city.

Technology brought fresh energy to the island’s festive atmosphere. “The robot dances even better than I do! This year, I brought my whole family to Hainan for a ‘tech-inspired’ New Year,” said Supa, a visitor from Thailand who interacted with the robots and joined a dance performance at Wuzhizhou Island.

At Wuzhizhou Island, robots that had recently wowed viewers on this year’s CCTV Spring Festival Gala greeted visitors with New Year blessings, adding a futuristic touch to the celebrations.

“During the Spring Festival holiday, Wuzhizhou Island in Sanya received an average of 18,000 visitors per day, a year-on-year increase of 3%,” said Feng Chao, Vice President of the Wuzhizhou Island Tourism Zone. This year, the scenic area focused on developing the nighttime economy and setting up an all-day vacation system. Key highlights included Spring Festival-themed activities featuring the robots seen on the CCTV Gala, the launch of the new IPK Wuzhizhou Beach Restaurant & Bar and hotel cocktail lounge, as well as new attractions such as ‘via ferrata’ climbing routes (routes equipped with metal cables or other supporting infrastructure), interactive stingray experiences, and imported sightseeing boats—offering visitors a refreshing, improved holiday experience.

From traditional New Year customs to cutting-edge trends, and from strong domestic popularity to rising international appeal, Hainan is captivating the world with unique island beauty. As the integration of culture and the travel industry deepens and service standards continue to rise, Hainan will become more and more popular as an island vacation destination, resulting in the high-quality development of the culture and travel sector and welcoming more visitors from around the globe to discover—and fall in love with—Hainan.