During the combined eight-day "Super Golden Week" Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday (from Sept. 29 to Oct. 6) this year, Hainan—southern China's tropical island province—received a total of 4.2686 million tourists and raked in a total tourism revenue of 6.488 billion yuan (about $0.89 billion), an increase of 256.2% year-on-year and 24.0% over the same period in 2019.

Residents and tourists came to Haikou Sky Mountain to watch the sunset over Haikou Bay on October 1. (Photo: Song Guoqiang / Hainan Daily)

Tourist attractions across the island received 3.5883 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 262.7% and an increase of 20.9% over the same period in 2019. The average occupancy rate of guest rooms at commercial tourist accommodation facilities in the province reached 60.0%, with the occupancy rate of 169 gold, silver, and bronze-rated guesthouses averaging 60.5%.

During the holiday, the number of visitors to the Luhuitou Scenic Area in Sanya increased significantly. The scenic area has integrated elements such as Li and Miao culture to develop cultural and creative products. (Photo: Wang Chenglong / Hainan Daily)

Hainan launched more than 30 tourist itineraries in time for the holidays, covering coastal recreation, leisure and health, beautiful countryside, sports, and Li and Miao customs. Over 200 tourism, cultural, and sports events were also held, raising the holiday spirit to a new level.

Tourists try out paddleboarding and other water sports on the west coast of Haikou. (Photo: Chen Yuancai / Hainan Daily)

Culture played a significant part in enriching this year's festival atmosphere. The Hainan Provincial Museum, China (Hainan) South China Sea Museum, Hainan Tanka Museum, and other cultural and museum venues were a hit with residents and visitors looking to learn about Hainan’s history and experience its cultural heritage. Museums in the province received a total of 216,000 visitors, with the Hainan Provincial Museum setting a record for the number of visitors in a single day when over 13,000 of them poured through its doors on October 1.

Children visit the whale exhibition accompanied by staff at the China (Hainan) South China Sea Museum on October 3. (Photo: Meng Zhongde / Hainan Daily)

Many people chose to explore Hainan by car, especially with the recent opening of the Hainan Coastal Scenic Highway, with beautiful bays and filming locations of popular movies and TV series being hot additions to itineraries. The Wenchang Mulan Bay section, the Wanning Shimei Bay to Dahua Cape section, the Danzhou Volcanic Coast section, and the Changjiang Qizi Bay section of the Coastal Scenic Highway were particularly busy, delivering tourists to beaches and bays to try their hand at various activities and bringing a boost to coastal tourism.