Sanya beach resorts draw tourists missing their Bali or Thailand fix, but will they return post-pandemic?
- Unable to travel abroad, many foreigners in China have turned to Sanya, on Hainan island, for sun, sea and sand
- Hotels and resorts that have proved popular with non-Chinese visitors include the Edition, the Ritz Carlton, the Park Hyatt, Le Meridien and Club Med
Many foreigners living in mainland China appreciate the variety of landscapes, weather, customs and food the Middle Kingdom has to offer, but also like to take holidays abroad – if not back in their home countries then perhaps on the beaches of Southeast Asia.
With international borders having been sealed by coronavirus restrictions for the past year and a half, however, the resort city of Sanya, on Hainan Island, the southernmost province of China, has proven to be a valued substitute, and a welcome distraction from the pandemic.
“Before [the pandemic struck] we would have been more intrepid travellers whereas now, we just need somewhere to escape to, recharge and relax,” says Meliosa Gormley, “something that Sanya can definitely offer us.”
The Gormley family – the parents and two children – love to travel within China and to explore their “home city”, Beijing. But an annual escape to an overseas beach resort is usually a must. So, when China closed its borders in March 2020, the Irish family started looking for places in China that could give them that beach holiday feel. They found that Sanya offers more than 20km (12 miles) of beaches as well as an array of activities for families.