Hainan Island: Russian demand has increased by 60 percent

Russian tourist flow to the Chinese island of Hainan, having reached record levels last year, continues to rapidly increase in 2026.

In the first two months of 2026, Hainan welcomed 89,000 tourists from Russia, a 61.9% increase compared to the same period last year. Russia accounted for 31% of Hainan's total tourist flow in January-February.

Sanya remained the most popular resort on the island among the Russian guests. From January to February 2026, the average hotel occupancy rate in this resort city was approximately 88%, 5% higher than the 2025 figure.

Among the main factors driving the growth in demand from Russians, Mr. Song Shi, a representative of the International Cooperation Department of the island's Department of Culture and Tourism, cited the visa-free regime, the expansion of its geographic reach and the increase in the number of direct flights, the active promotion of Hainan in the Russian tourism market, and the development of tourism infrastructure and services for Russians.

The Middle East crisis is also having a positive impact on demand. Hainan is catching tourists who have rebooked their tours there from the Persian Gulf region.

Aeroflot launched new scheduled flights from Irkutsk to Sanya in March 2026. Direct flights are now available from 11 cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Ufa, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Vladivostok, Ulan-Ude, Yekaterinburg, and Irkutsk itself.

Photo by Elena Lebedeva