One of the most distinctive features is that the number of Russian tourists are increasing daily with the good Sino-Russian connections.

While Sanya has become a significant tourist hot spot, receiving millions of visitors every year, it has yet to become an important international travel hub.

The distinct Russian presence is obvious, especially in Dadonghai. Russians provide the largest volume of Sanya’s foreign tourist dollars as their vacations last between two weeks and a month at a time, much longer than most other tourists. Many signs on the streets and menus in restaurants have Russian translations, making the absence of English outside the resort hotels even more present. If there is a second language in Sanya, it is Russian .

Sergey Zhang Sha sat at the Russian Restaurant, with log cabin exterior, in Sanya as part of a delegation invited by the Moscow Office of CNTA to visit China on a familiarization tour for Russian travel companies to Hainan . As is well known in Sanya, Sergey is generally acknowledged as the father of China tourism in Russia.

Sergey’s father was Chinese and went to the USSR when was five years old with a circus. Many years later, Sergey attended Moscow University, where he learned Chinese and studied Chinese economy. In I988, he attended Fudan University in Shanghai for postgraduate work and to work for a Shanghai radio station. It was in I988 That Hainan became China’s second largest island province (Russians consider, as do the Chinese, that Taiwan is its largest). During his first visit, Sergey recalls that, ‘The bus ride from Haikou to Sanya took eight hours riding with the family chickens and pigs, but when I got there I fell in love with the place.’

In I997, he was able to bring his first tourist to Hainan, a wealthy businessman. They both saw great potential-an uncut diamond paradise. “Sanya is a popular destination for Russians who seek a warm climate and a rejuvenating holiday,”Sergey explains. “Most live and work very hard in cold, bitter climates. They earn a well-deserved break and they bake it by traveling to more hospitable climates and other interesting cultures.”

Many Russians have older relatives who served as advisors to China many years ago and grew up hearing interesting stories from their grandparent’s time. Now, many younger Russians want to experience it for themselves and learn about Chinese traditions firsthand.

Arthur Martinov was at the same dinner, eating Russian caviar and drinking vodka. Martinov caters to the high-end segment of the tourism market-his clients are wealthy and mostly hail from Moscow and St. Petersburg. He devotes half his time to Sanya and another half to Beijing to meet the needs of a growing number of VIP clients looking for unique travel experiences, such as living and sailing on a private bay or fishing with a local fisherman.

Many Russian families also visit Sanya to rejuvenate for the coming year. “As we say, ‘Sanya is a healthy island for healthy people’”. Sergey says. “Furthermore, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is becoming more and more popular with Russians.”

Alexander Pleshakov , sitting at the other end of the table , is a young Russian scientist turned TCM doctor . Alexander came to China 12years ago and now runs the Longevity Spa Land at the Pearl River Garden Hotel in Dadonghai . This spa and its sister, Sanya Pearl River Nantian Spa Hot Springs, on the outskirts of town , are world-class facilities , he says , The staff is trained in Russian as 65 percent of its clientele are Russian visitors.

In the end , Sanya is attractive to Russians simply because it is the nearest tropical climate , at just six hours from Vladivostok , and they have a long history of  friendly relations with China.