Kuwait City, Kuwait, March 18, 2020: The Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia, Husain Al-Musallam, feels the recovery of the tourist industry in Sanya, China is a big step forward on the road to the Asian Beach Games in November.
Sanya is a major tourist destination on southern China’s Hainan island province and is known as the “Hawaii of China” due to its long golden beaches, tropical climate and luxurious resorts.
The city will host the OCA’s sixth edition of the popular Asian Beach Games from November 28 to December 6, 2020 with athletes and team officials from 45 National Olympic Committees taking part.
The tourism industry has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus outbreak in recent weeks but there are positive signs of a recovery.
The city’s bureau of tourism, culture, radio, television and sports informed Xinhua Culture and Travel this week that the scenic spots in Sanya had received 74,000 tourists since they reopened to the public on February 21. Furthermore, 23,000 tourism workers had returned to work.
“The Olympic Council of Asia is very happy to learn that the tourism industry is coming back to Sanya after a difficult few weeks,” said Mr. Al-Musallam.
“The main aim of our Asian Beach Games is to combine sport and tourism and to give the opportunity to the host city to promote tourism through the Asian Beach Games. Sport and tourism work hand in hand.
“The Asian Beach Games gives the host city an international platform to showcase all aspects of tourism through the location of the competition venues and to project the natural beauty of the landscape around the world. In return, the tourism industry helps promote our Asian Beach Games, so it is a win-win situation.”
The OCA Director General added that the Asian Beach Games, featuring 17 sports on land and sea, would attract thousands of tourists during the nine days of competition and add value to the legacy of the ABG.
The ABG began in Bali, Indonesia in 2008 and continued in Muscat, Oman in 2010, Haiyang, China in 2012, Phuket, Thailand in 2014 and Danang, Vietnam in 2016.
The fun, friendly and family elements proved so successful that the concept was adopted by the 206-member Association of National Olympic Committees, resulting in the inaugural ANOC World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar last October.
The 17 sports on the programme for Sanya are: aquathlon (swim-run), aquatics (open water swimming and water polo), beach athletics, powerboat/motorboat racing, dragon boat, 3x3 basketball, sport climbing, beach handball, beach soccer, beach volleyball, woodball, martial arts (beach wrestling and jujitsu), beach kabaddi, surfing, sailing, teqball and powered paragliding.
