PATA and the Sanya Tourism Board signed an MoU on August 27 to collaborate on tourism research, capacity development, and tourism development within Sanya and the broader Hainan region, among other activities.
One of the key components in the partnership is to co-host the Tropical Coastal City Tourism Event over three years, including 2024. The debut edition is set for September 4 and 5 at the Hyatt Regency Sanya Tianli Bay. It will bring together thought leaders from tropical coastal and island resort destinations.
Sanya Tourism Board director general Albert Yip emphasised that the event will feature many noteworthy destinations, among them Thailand’s Phuket and Samui, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Mauritius.
“PATA is an influential platform for tourism. This collaboration kickstarts a unique event for Sanya, which is also particularly meaningful for other coastal cities. (We) share challenges, such as generating traffic and travel community integration. We aim to learn from each other on how we can do better,” Yip stated.
PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid said: “PATA’s first collaboration with the Sanya Tourism Board is an important occasion. The partnership seeks to redefine tourism marketing in tropical coastal cities. By sharing insights between cities and promoting Sanya as a premier destination, we aim to set new benchmarks for tourism marketing strategies in coastal destinations.”
According to Yip, the event will help Sanya establish the Tropical Coastal Cities Tourism Alliance, which aims to connect tropical coastal cities worldwide and allow for the exchange of best practices and solutions among coastal cities.
It will also highlight Sanya’s recent shift towards international tourism development and efforts to boost consumption levels and establish the Sanya International Tourism Consumption Center. These improvements are part of the Sanya Plan for Building an International Tourism Resort (2022-2035).
Yip underscored Sanya’s positive destination reputation, as it has been recognised twice by the New York Times as one of the most popular destinations and ranked first in China in terms of yacht registration numbers.
He said the city’s main draws are its “exceptional natural ecology” and a well-established culture of Chinese traditional medicine that benefits wellness tourism.
