Representatives of Sanya's tourism development commission and KinaReiser As sign a strategic partnership MOU on Sept 17. [Photo/hinews.cn]

Sanya's tourism development commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with KinaReiser As, Norway's biggest and most well-known travel agency, on Sept 17, regarding a new flight marketing strategy between the city in Hainan province and Norway's capital Oslo.

The parties agreed to open a new air route directly linking Sanya with Oslo in the near future, which will help promote Sanya as an international tourist destination.

The strategic partnership is not only an important step towards implementing Hainan's strategy of allowing travelers from 59 countries to enjoy visa-free arrivals, but also the result of years of Hainan tourism promotional work in Europe. It will help to develop Sanya's 12-hour tourism circle.

Representatives of the two parties shake hands after the agreement was signed. [Photo/en.sanyatour.com]

It was an important gain made by the Sanya tourism delegation during its recent visit to Sweden. The delegation was led by Yan Chaojun, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and secretary of the Sanya municipal Party committee.

To further promote Hainan as an international free trade zone, Sanya has strengthened its efforts in urban ecological protection, improved urban infrastructure, and upgraded the level of services to create a safer and sounder tourism environment.

It received 432,300 inbound tourists in the first seven months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 9.32 percent. The inbound tourist arrivals were mainly from Russia, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Belarus, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Argentina, Mexico, Qatar, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, and Poland.

Sanya also rolled out a bevy of preferential policies for the aviation industry and conducted a series of "Inviting in" and "Going Out" promotional campaigns to enhance its international reputation.

The city now has 33 international and regional air routes connecting 34 overseas destinations.