Sanya enhances visibility in German-speaking countries with hosting of promotional conference at ITB

The launch of new scheduled flight services and customized multi-destination tourism products vastly expands market reach for the island city

BERLIN, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The delegation from Sanya, a seaside city and popular travel destination in China's Hainan province, attracted wide attention from many tourism service providers at ITB Berlin 2018, one of the world's key international travel trade shows, on March 7. This was the 12th time that Sanya has taken part in the ITB. Feedback following the show confirms the visibility garnered at this year's event far exceeded previous efforts.

Facilitating the launch of new scheduled flights and customizing multi-destination tourism products

Before the launch of direct flights between Sanya and Germany, inbound tourism service providers Haolide International Travel and China Travel International Sanya Co., Ltd. had each launched multi-destination tourism products, in a bid to attract more German visitors to the city. The new products create close ties between Sanya and Chinese first-tier cities, Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, enabling Sanya's expansion into the German market.

Creating more flight routes to pave the way for launch of non-stop flights between Sanya and Europe

The Sanya Tourism Development Commission facilitated the one-on-one negotiations between Sanya's local chartered airplane operators, Haolide International Travel and Hainan United Airlines, and leading German tourism service operators and airlines. With strong support from the Sanya government, Sanya-based tourism firms engaged in productive discussions with their German counterparts and gained a deeper understanding of what German visitors expect from their visits to Sanya. As a result, they launched tourism products exclusively for German visitors and further advanced the start of non-stop flights between Sanya and Frankfurt.

Partnership with German-based TUI Group expected to increase flow of Sanya's inbound visitors

Leading German-based TUI Group added several of Sanya's scheduled tours into their China tour packages. This was the first time that TUI included Sanya's tourism offerings into what they chose to highlight at ITB. The commission hosted a promotional conference targeting key tourism providers and media outlets in Germany and neighboring countries, with over 80 travel industry executives and journalists in attendance.

Sanya Municipal Government Deputy Secretary-General Li Wujun, on behalf of Sanya, inked a long-term cooperation agreement with TUI, whereby Sanya will have access to TUI's international marketing resources and channels, enhancing Sanya's position as a leading international tourism destination for European visitors. The Sanya government plans to further raise the awareness of Sanya in international tourism markets via a mix of online and offline promotions, integrating the resources that European travel agencies have offered, as well as the media coverage from some of Europe's leading media outlets, into existing marketing materials.

Sanya currently has scheduled flight services to 19 international destinations, consisting of a mix of 61 short, medium and long-haul flights per week, assuring a continuous flow of inbound tourists from near and afar. This year, Sanya plans to continue the strategy of expanding promotional efforts outside of the home market and growing the number of partnerships with foreign tourism service providers who will promote Sanya's facilities for sightseeing and leisure travel, as well as facilities specializing in meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions, in a move to improve the city's presence and competitiveness in the international tourism market and genuinely earn the status as a world-class coastal tourism destination.

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