Cruise tourism is booming in Sanya, which has seen a sharp increase in the number of visiting ships and passengers since the beginning of this year.
The numbers are set to grow even more with the return of Star Cruises this November.
In the first five months, cruise ships made 114 calls at the port, bringing in more than 80,000 visitors, according to Sanya's customs department.
Both figures are higher than for the whole of last year.
The growth is attributed to improved infrastructure at the Sanya Phoenix International Cruise Terminal on Phoenix Island near Sanya Bay.
Since its opening in November 2007, the terminal has handled 474 calls, made by 17 vessels, with 550,000 passengers, making it the busiest port in China. The terminal now has an 80,000-tonne-class berth. To cope with rising demand, it plans to add one 100,000-tonne-class berth, two 150,000-tonne-class berths, and one 225,000-tonne-class berth within the next few years.
When completed, the terminal would be able to berth six cruise ships of 30,000 to 250,000 tonnes simultaneously, with an annual passenger handling capacity of more than 2 million. 'Sanya is an important port of call in China due to the rich geographical and natural resources in Hainan,' says Michael Goh, senior vice-president of sales, Star Cruises.