Dadonghai Bay hotels in Sanya welcome more visitors as wellness travel trend catches on

Hotels in Dadonghai Bay generally recorded an increase in visitors last year, helped by an increased interest in wellness travel and because of its convenient location – only about 4km from Sanya city centre.

“As for this year so far, it feels like arrivals are up again, and up from Hong Kong as well,” says Julian Wong, multiproperty general manager of the Shanhaitian Resort Autograph Collection.

Eric Kee, general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Sanya, says that part of the reason for the rise in the number of arrivals is an “increasing interest in holistic health care in the West [and] a corresponding increase in the number of guests who actively choose Sanya as a travel destination for wellness retreat”. Kee sees this sector as a bright spot for tourism. “The wellness travel trend will continue to evolve, particularly non-invasive anti-ageing, weight management and beauty treatments.”

Of course, people who feel perfectly well are also flocking to the area. “We are seeing more three-generation families from the middle-income segment of the economy,” says Wong, referring to couples who travel with their children and parents.

Dadonghai Bay also does well because of its convenient location, says Kee. Bustling markets are five minutes away, downtown Sanya is a 10-minute drive and the airport is a 20-minute ride, giving guests “convenient access to all of the area’s major tourist attractions”.