SANYA, China, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of World Tourism Day on September 27, Sanya, the popular resort city located on the southern tip of Hainan Island, has renewed its commitment to creating a tourism destination that is open for everyone to enjoy. The popular holiday hotspot has introduced a string of initiatives this year aimed at restarting the tourism industry while enabling the benefits to be shared at every level of the community — from the largest hoteliers to local businesses and ethnic groups.

With the theme "Tourism for Inclusive Growth", World Tourism Day 2021 acknowledges the crucial role that tourism plays in social and economic recovery and growth after COVID-19. This year's program goes beyond tourism itself to recognize the importance of travel to open up new possibilities and ensure that nobody is left behind as the world begins to look to the future. Throughout the year, Sanya Tourism Promotion Board has embraced this mentality by launching diverse experiences that celebrate all the destination has to offer, as well as unite modern and ancient cultures.

"With more than 15 million tourists in 2020, Sanya brings people together from all walks of life. We want to welcome more people to Sanya while ensuring the benefits are felt by all. The past year and a half have been an opportunity for us to strengthen understanding and dialog between local businesses, people, and global stakeholders to achieve a common understanding and create a more inclusive future for tourism," said Yu Tingting, deputy director of Sanya Tourism Promotion Board.

One key approach Sanya has taken to create an inclusive tourism industry is the cultivation of its weddings industry. In 2020 alone, the region hosted over 2,200 destination weddings and welcomed more than 260,000 couples and 200,000 honeymooners. The Sanya Wedding Tourism Association has launched destination wedding packages complete with a ceremony, travel photography and honeymoon to meet the changing needs of modern millennial travelers. At the same time, Sanya is enabling couples to tailor their dream wedding with professional and exclusive wedding customization. Furthermore, official industry standards and a globally recognized talent certification system have also been launched to help local businesses and capture a greater share of the international destination weddings market.

Beyond modern cultural offerings, Sanya has taken steps to celebrate and pay homage to its unique history and culture through a major drawcard: the Yazhou Ancient City Cultural Festival. With a schedule including an international cultural tourism summit, national costume show, Yazhou folk song and music party, revamped Baoping Village market and more, the festival invites travelers to discover the stories, cultures and traditions that shaped Sanya into the place it is today.

In addition, Sanya is tapping into the growing popularity of e-Sports and live music to ensure the destination remains relevant and inclusive for future generations. Earlier this year, the "Sanya x Game for Peace(the Chinese version of PUBG Mobile)" international marketing initiative has seen the destination partner with the burgeoning e-Sports industry to promote Sanya to a new segment of travelers. Sanya will also welcome sports fans and music fans from all walks of life with more featured beach and marine sports events, as well as various music festivals such as the Midi Music Festival.

Looking ahead, the Sanya Tourism Promotion Board will continue to work hand-in-hand with local businesses, associations and cultural organizations to introduce more experiences for travelers. By inviting discovery of its ancient roots and adapting to contemporary travel and lifestyle trends, Sanya will build a more inclusive tourism sector where everyone can enjoy the social and economic benefits that travel brings.