Hainan, China's southern tropical island, is making waves in the global tourism scene with its "Cool Hainan" social media campaign. Launched by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province, the campaign aims to position Hainan as a world-class resort island and attract more international visitors. Since the beginning of this year, the campaign has published 56 travel-themed pieces of content across multiple social media platforms, generating over 16 million exposures and reaching an audience of more than 52 million followers.
The campaign spans key inbound tourist source markets, including Russian-speaking regions, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America. Content is distributed in seven languages—Russian, Thai, Indonesian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and English—to cater to a diverse global audience. Breaking from traditional promotional methods, the campaign features seven themed series that highlight Hainan's unique attractions and experiences. From luxury getaways on the Sunshine Coast in January to Li and Miao ethnic Spring Festival customs in February, the themes shift monthly to showcase the island's diversity. March highlighted trendy surfing and aerospace study tours in Wenchang; April promoted water sports and wellness tourism; May featured archaeological study tours and rainforest adventures; June focused on rainforest self-driving tours and ethnic minority villages; and July rolled out "Ten Signature Marine Tourism Routes," with a single post achieving over 2.6 million impressions.
The content not only showcases Hainan's natural beauty—bays, rainforests, folk customs, and sports—but also provides practical travel information. This includes visa-free policies for citizens of 86 countries, temporary permits for foreign driver's licenses, and duty-free and tax refund policies for off-island travel. By integrating these details, the campaign helps international travelers plan their trips more easily. Global social media users have shown strong interest, with many commenting to ask about visa-free entry, dining, accommodation, and self-driving tours. Several users have stated they have added Hainan to their travel bucket lists.
The campaign's success underscores Hainan's ambition to become an international tourism and consumption center. According to an official from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province, Hainan possesses tropical coastal tourism resources that are unique in China. Leveraging the policy dividends and openness advantages of the Free Trade Port, Hainan plans to continue optimizing its tourism services for international visitors and foster a consumption environment that meets international standards. The "Cool Hainan" campaign is a key part of this strategy, aiming to enhance Hainan's appeal as an inbound tourism destination and support its development as a world-class resort island.
