In 2018, over 76 million trips were made to the South China island province of Hainan, which only hosted an annual of less than one million tourists in the early years of the province.
Liao Yongming, who has served as an official in the Sanya famous tourism attraction Tianya Haijiao( literally meaning edge of the sky and rim of the sea), has witnessed the astonishing change of the tourist industry in Hainan. Let's see his perspectives on Hainan's tourism development.
Liao Yongming at a sandy beach in Sanya.[Photo/hnrb.hinews.cn]
Governance in an exploratory way
Around 1987, the tourism products in Sanya, a small fishing village then, lacked diversity. There was no airport or highway. Even the residents in Hainan didn't often travel to Sanya, let alone tourists outside the island.
Liao, with his colleagues surveyed the exploitable tourist routes and did much research on tourist products in Sanya. Hours of trudge under the burning sun was a common practice. With Liao and his colleague's efforts, the regulations on street peddlers were standardized and Tianya Haijiao's tourism atmosphere was improved greatly.
Young love birds tie the knot in the Tianya Stone in Sanya during the Tianya Haijiao International Wedding Festival. [Photo/hnrb.hinews.cn]
Culture soul in tourist attractions
A huge renovation of Tianya Haijiao took place in 1993. With consulting the experts from China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, Sanya government integrated the cultural essence into the construction of scenic spots by building historical celebrity sculptures, forming the tourist production of "sightseeing plus culture experience".
Similarly, with the unique wine-making culture, dancing performances, and handicraft exhibition, some folk-custom parks became extremely popular, with an annual reception of one million people in 1996.
Making an international calling card for Hainan
With new highways, five-star hotels, and airports being built, Hainan's infrastructure level surged in 1996. Liao innovatively combined the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival: going to the seaside and enjoying the moon with the construction of tourism sites, attracting millions of residents and tourists to the scenic areas in 1996.
In accordance with the principle of holding more brand activities and strengthening tourism influence, Sanya has held many international-level activities such as the Tianya Haijiao International Wedding Festival.
"I feel proud of the development in Sanya and I wish a promising future for the city", Liao said.
Haikou 
Sanya 
Sansha 
