A New Dawn in Sanya, China
At Portier Technologies, we always see ourselves as destination experts, and as such, we are driven by the romance that special travel experiences can deliver to our daily routines. It is this belief that has taken our company to Bangkok’s least known corners, to Barcelona’s beauty beyond the sunny surface and to beachside resorts that add a remarkable chapter to your book of travels.
Having said that, we are a fairly young startup that is on the hunt for opportunities and we can’t avoid being opportunistic from time to time. In this sense, our company recently had the pleasure of being selected for government initiatives in the Southern Chinese province of Hainan. Intriguingly, the timing of the above coincided with the Chinese government’s effort to convert Hainan into the next big thing in the region. From turning the whole island into a free trade zone to allowing horse racing to enabling visa-free travel for nationals from 59 countries, there is a lot of movement on this island indeed.
At the heart of President Xi’s efforts lies the idea that Hainan would become a tourist hotspot not just for domestic travellers but also for the myriads of non-Chinese tourists that typically select the likes of Thailand and Vietnam, without even considering a seaside holiday in China. That’s where we come in.
In order to properly assess Hainan (and Sanya in particular) as a tourist destination, our Country Director Jörn Helms and I headed to the city of Sanya and started talking to the businesses that we sell to, namely hotels. Driving from one hotspot to another, it was clear that, at least culturally speaking, there’s a lot of work to be done to even begin competing with the cultural wonders of the region, which include Cambodia, Laos or the previously mentioned Thailand and Vietnam.
Why? Because Sanya, very much like most of China, is about progress and about looking ahead rather than hanging on to cultural wonders of the past. As a result, you’ll be mostly exposed to new buildings, purpose-built sites and convenience from every angle. Now, that doesn’t necessarily sound like a bad deal, but this might just not be a fit for those who want walk the unbeaten paths of this earth.
However, despite this potential lack of something unique, even my personal scepticism had gone by the end of the short trip. The reason? Hotels! For the first time in my life, I felt as though I would travel to a place to simply experience some of these incredibly unique properties. Whether you spend time at Haitang, Sanya or Yalong Bay (see above), there is always at least one hotel that is outstanding.
I typically always judge a destination based on the question as to whether I’d come back in the future and, somewhat unexpectedly, I feel like travelling back to Sanya as soon as possible. Hotels like the Sanya EDITION(see below), the Banyan Tree or the Rosewood currently make Hainan a must-see and must-experience destination.
At Portier Technologies, we will have the pleasure to unlock the beauty and the unique flavour of these hotels and welcome those to the island, who are keen experience a different type of holiday with all the exotic charm that China adds to a trip. Regardless of our own involvement, a visit to Sanya should now be seen as more than just a viable option.
