China and tropical island aren't two terms you would expect to see together, but China's tropical island of Hainan was a focus at the World Travel Market last week.

Last week, a Chinese tourism-themed seminar, "Discover the Tropics of China," was held at the World Travel Market's Asia area in ExCel London.

Leading tourism agents and professionals from around the world, including executives from Thomas Cook, TUI China and Ctrip, gathered together to focus on what Sanya has to offer as a travel destination, discuss the advantages of developing tourism in China's tropical areas, and identify trends concerning the development of China's tropical tourism at a series of thematic seminars.

The event's topics included "What the differences between Sanya and other Southeast Asian cities are," "Whether Sanya has grown into a luxury tourism destination" and "What international tourism opportunities the 30-day visa-free entry into Sanya for travelers from 59 countries can offer."

Wang Ke, International Marketing Division Director from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province, said during an interview that the province is advocating the development of the whole of Hainan island into a pilot free trade zone, while gradually exploring and steadily promoting the establishment of a free trade port.

Sanya leads other Chinese cities in terms of the amount of money spent locally by international visitors.

The city has 33 direct flights to cities outside of China, including a Sanya-London service. In addition to over 50 global hotel brands that have already expanded into Sanya, including Atlantis, Marriott and InterContinental.

Thomas Cook Sanya Branch, a joint-venture travel agency launched by Thomas Cook and the Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, was officially set up in Sanya on October 15, 2018.

Sanya, the sole tropical coastal destination in China, has become a popular destination among European visitors.