Hainan's National Day holiday cultural tourism market is full of fireworks and trends

China News Service, Haikou, October 9 (Reporter Zhang Qianyi) On the blue waves of the South China Sea, the performing arts themed route unlocks a new cultural tourism experience in the South China Sea; in the century-old arcade, a red flash mob turns the old street into a stage; in the waves of rice terraces, runners rush to the heights of "Hainan's First Terraced Fields"... During this year's National Day holiday, new scenes of Hainan tourism emerge one after another, with fireworks and a sense of trend intertwined.

Data released by the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports on the evening of the 8th showed that during the National Day holiday, the province received 4.754 million tourists, an increase of 13.1% compared with the same period in 2025; tourists spent a total of 6.875 billion yuan, an increase of 14.7% compared with the same period in 2025; there were 32,900 inbound tourists, an increase of 18.4% compared with the same period in 2025.

Rongshanliao Village in Haikou has become a popular check-in spot with its beautiful sunset sea view, and the "dopamine party" starts on the beach. Photo courtesy of Haikou Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports Bureau

In Haikou, red exhibitions, arts and cultural museums, duty-free shopping, trendy entertainment experiences, night-time economy, etc. enrich the supply of holiday cultural tourism; in Sanya, attractions such as Nanshan Cultural Tourism Area, Wuzhizhou Island Tourism Area, West Island Marine Cultural Tourism Area, Tianya Haijiao Tourist Area are highly popular, and orders for "experiential consumption" such as yachting, diving and surfing, and low-altitude flights have increased significantly. Riyue Bay in Wanning is full of orders for surfing and paddle boards; Tongchao Pavilion, Chengmai’s new landmark, has an average of more than 20,000 tourists visiting the pavilion every day to view exhibitions and visit Songyun Market.

From a regional perspective, the number of tourists received by cities and counties in central, eastern and western Hainan increased by 14.6%, 10.2% and 10.4% respectively year-on-year. Cities and counties in central China are no longer “passing stops” but have become tourist “destination”. Wang Yonghui, secretary of the Party branch of Yahu Village in Wuzhishan City, said that since the operation of the Yahu Terraces Agricultural and Tourism Integration Project, it has achieved a total tourism comprehensive income of approximately 11.74 million yuan and attracted more than 203,000 tourists.

Duty-free consumption continues to be popular. According to statistics from Haikou Customs, a total of 855 million yuan of duty-free shopping on outlying islands was supervised during the seven-day holiday, with 123,000 shopping participants and 696,800 items purchased.

Cultural tourism continues to be out of the circle. Hainan has deeply explored local cultural and tourism resources throughout the province and launched folklore performances, parent-child study, coastal leisure, rural health care, night consumption, etc. A total of 127 activities were held; the province's museums received 236,700 tourists.

During the National Day holiday, tourists can be seen everywhere on the beach in Wanning who form groups to unlock the surfing experience. Photo courtesy of Wanning Municipal Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports Bureau

The footsteps of tourists are also extending towards the seaside and "on the road". According to statistics, the occupancy rates of Shimei Bay and Riyue Bay in Wanning reached 94.62% and 82.22% respectively during the holidays. The number of tourists received by A-level tourist attractions increased by 22.3% year-on-year, and the number of tourists received by coconut-level rural tourist spots increased by 21.2% year-on-year. Scenic spots and rural areas have made simultaneous efforts.

Industry insiders believe that with the continued release of the benefits of the outlying island tax-free policy, the continuous improvement of entry facilitation, and the increasingly abundant supply of tourism products, Hainan’s winter tourism season is expected to continue its steady and positive trend. (over)