The local tourism bureau announced recently that China Southern Airlines will open a direct airline between Sanya, a city in Hainan Province and London on July 12. This new airline will become the first inter-continental route after Hainan expanded its visa-free policy on May 1.
This air route will be operated by Airbus A330-200 aircraft. It will depart from Sanya at 1:15 pm Beijing time every Thursday and Sunday. The return flight will leave London at 10:10 pm local time on the same days. Up to now, Hainan has 57 international air routes and it is expected to add 16 more this year.
After releasing the new policy, group and individual tourists from countries including Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, can visit Hainan visa-free with longest stay of 30 days as long as they book their tour through travel agencies.
Hainan has become a popular travel resort for the tourists around the world, with the number of overseas tourists exceeding 1.1 million in 2017, up nearly 50 percent year on year. The new air route can help boost the tourism between the two cities, and strength the corporations among economic and culture exchanges.