China's tropical island province of Hainan opened a new direct air link to Belarus recently, marking a milestone in connectivity and boosting ties under the Belt and Road Initiative. The Sanya-Minsk route, operated by Belavia Belarusian Airlines, is the first regular flight connecting the Belarusian capital with the Chinese resort city of Sanya.

The airline currently offers one weekly round-trip flight. The eastbound flight takes off from Minsk at 9:40 am on Wednesdays and arrives in Sanya at 8:00 pm. The westbound flight departs Sanya at 10:00 pm the same day, arriving in Minsk at 9:20 am the next day.

Dmitry, a Belarusian tourist and passenger on the inaugural flight, said the new route makes travel to China much easier.

Ambassador of Belarus to China Aleksandr Chervyakov attended the inaugural ceremony, saying that the new route "will inject new impetus" into growing tourist numbers, deepening business ties and strengthening the friendship between the two peoples.

Igor Nikolaevich Cherginets, general director of the airline, said bookings remain robust through mid-January. Due to high demand, the airline plans to increase service to two round-trip flights per week starting Nov 1.

Travel industry representatives highlighted the appeal of Hainan for Belarusian tourists. Olga Myshkovskaya, a Belarusian travel agent, said tourists are drawn not only to Hainan's tropical beaches, but also to its sightseeing, shopping and wellness tourism.

He Jinsai, chairwoman of Hainan Dimension International Travel Service Co, estimated that the new route would bring an additional 25,000 inbound tourists to Sanya annually. She said Belarusian tourists often prefer slow-paced vacations, with average hotel stays of up to 14 days, which allows for the development of diverse tourism products.

Yuan Ailin, vice-director of Sanya Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said the facility regularly receives international patients from Russian-speaking countries, adding that visitors from Belarus show particular interest in treatments such as acupuncture and massage therapy.

Russian-speaking countries and regions remain important source markets for Sanya, and the city is preparing to welcome more visitors by enhancing its services and products, experts noted.

Zhang Hao, deputy director of the Sanya Tourism Board, said, "The flight enables tourists from Belarus and neighboring countries to travel to Sanya more conveniently and creates opportunities to develop new international visitor markets."

The route is expected to spur more marketing initiatives and tourism product development tailored to the local market, according to Zhang. It will also serve as a bridge, expanding the international cooperation space for Sanya and accelerating its development as an international tourist destination.

Sanya has also implemented several measures to attract visitors from Belarus and the surrounding countries. The city is strengthening market promotion through road shows in Minsk and Moscow, the Russian capital, with plans for deepening cooperation with foreign airlines and travel agencies.

Service improvements include expanding multilingual services and implementing convenient payment measures for citizens of 86 countries who can visit Hainan visa-free. The city is also designing specialized tour packages featuring beach resorts, TCM wellness and cultural experiences, Zhang said.

The route is the second regular direct flight connection between China and Belarus. The first, linking Minsk with Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, was launched last year.