Feature Report Hainan and the ‘Everest of Sailing’
Hainan and the ‘Everest of Sailing’
In exciting news for China's tropical island province, Hainan Island has been designated as the Asian stopover port for the 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race. The announcement was made on Friday May 20 by the State General Administration of Sport and Sanya Municipal Government in a press conference in Beijing.
The Beijing event was attended by a variety of guests, which included famous actors and actresses, Chinese sailors, the Chinese Yachting association and members as well as over 90 journalists and media representatives.
Former Olympic rower Hu Dong spoke alongside Chinese actress Hu Jing of his excitement for the race and plans to visit Sanya during the stopover next February. Speakers at the event focused on tourism and recreation throughout China and the development of the travel and tourism industry in the Hainan Island province.
Until recently, Hainan Island was little known in the international arena other than the hoards of tourists from Mainland China who flock to the sunny island to soak up the sun along its tropical coastline and empty beaches, experience the immaculate golf courses, grab a bargain at duty-free shopping stores and indulge in fresh seafood.
Tourism numbers have surged in the last year to the island that has been dubbed 'the Hawaii of the far East', since it has been the focus of tourism development in China as part of a ten-year plan to make the island an international resort destination by 2020.
Ever since, the small island in the South China Sea has been growing bigger and bigger as investors, developers and tourists are rushing to experience the tropical paradise and almost deserted beaches that belong to the world's next top destination. In the last year alone, Hainan has hosted a number of events from surf comps to political summits to Miss World Beauty Pageants, and now it is getting ready to host the world's top sailors.
The Volvo Ocean Race, considered 'the Everest of Sailing', starts in Alicante, Spain, in October 2011 and ending in Galway, Ireland in early July 2012. Teams of 11 will sail over 70,000km of sea over the nine-month period.
The Race will stopover in Sanya city in the south of Hainan around February 17 - 19, 2012, conveniently timed to coincide with Chinese New Year celebrations on the island. Other stopovers in the race will include Capetown, Abu Dhabi, Auckland, Itajai, Miami, Lisbon and Lorient.
With 150 days left until competitors set sail, preparations are well underway in Sanya, including the construction of a stopover port in the Luhitou bay, which is expected to be completed in August. The Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Sanya City will play a huge role in promoting tourism in Hainan, bringing benefits to the island province and to China in general.
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