Sanya, Tourism Malaysia Partner To Boost Travel For Visit Malaysia 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 (Bernama) -- The Sanya Tourism Development Bureau of China’s Hainan Province has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Tourism Malaysia to strengthen tourism ties ahead of "Visit Malaysia Year 2026" and jointly promote travel between the two destinations.
Under the agreement, Tourism Malaysia has been named a "Strategic Tourism Promotion Partner of Sanya", according to the bureau in a statement.
The Sanya Tourism Development Bureau has also engaged with the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) and the Malaysian Budget Hotel Association (MBHA) to enhance collaboration in tourism management, product development and tourist exchange.
In addition, the Sanya Tourism Overseas Promotion (Malaysia) Liaison Office has been established to facilitate access to travel information and bookings.
Travel between Malaysia and Hainan is supported by China’s visa-free policy, allowing Malaysian citizens to stay up to 15 days with only a passport. Direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Sanya take approximately three hours, with discussions ongoing to expand routes to Penang and Kota Kinabalu.
Sanya has also enhanced its tourism infrastructure with paperless airport and cruise port services, multilingual support, and international payment acceptance.
To attract visitors, Sanya is promoting themed travel products, including packages linked to the upcoming Asian Beach Games 2026, featuring discounted attraction tickets, hotel rates and dining offers.
Sanya continues to position itself as an international coastal destination, offering diving experiences with high water visibility, major water parks, cultural attractions such as the Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone, and a large duty-free shopping complex.
Tourism momentum is rising, with Hainan recording more than a 200 per cent increase in Malaysian visitor arrivals year-on-year, underscoring Sanya’s growing role as a key gateway for Malaysian tourists to China.
-- BERNAMA