Across China: Low-altitude tourism takes off on China's tropical island

HAIKOU, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A helicopter was slowly ascending, offering a breathtaking view of the vast blue ocean below and the stunning tropical coastal city of Sanya in south China's Hainan.

Sat in the cabin of the helicopter was He Jixu, a tourist from southwest China's Sichuan Province. It was the first time he had enjoyed a helicopter ride over the resort city, an unforgettable highlight of his trip.

"Seeing the ocean from the sky is an entirely different experience. The view is incredibly expansive, the scenery is more breathtaking, and it feels so unique," he said.

For tourists, the charm of the island now extends beyond its signature sea and beaches. From helicopter tours and paragliding, to skydiving and hot air balloon rides, a thrilling array of aerial adventures has enriched tourists' experiences.

At Sanya Tarhe skydiving base, the largest of its kind in Hainan, the lobby bustled with visitors from across the country. Some awaited their turn with eager anticipation, while others returned excitedly after their skydiving.

"The moment I jumped out, my heart raced. But when calm returned, I enjoyed the sight of the glittering sea and the endless blue sky, and felt completely at peace," said Wang Xiaoling, a tourist from north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. For Wang, skydiving is not just a thrilling adventure, but also a gateway to a whole new world.

"I love exploring different places and having diverse experiences. This skydiving attempt is also about challenging myself to become braver," she added.

Zhang Enming, general manager of Sanya Tarhe Skydiving Club, said the base offered several skydiving packages, with prices ranging from 3,999 yuan (about 550 U.S. dollars) for fixed-wing aircraft to 6,999 yuan and 8,699 yuan for helicopter-based experiences.

During the May Day holiday, the number of skydiving bookings surged, with daily traffic increasing by about 70 percent compared to usual.

Low-altitude tourism, a burgeoning sector, offers a unique perspective and experience for tourists, and is especially appealing to young people, said Zhang. The base served over 10,000 customers last year, and the number in the first quarter of this year has reached 6,000.

As China's only tropical island province, Hainan enjoys a significant advantage in developing low-altitude tourism, with over 300 days of flyable weather each year.

Hainan's low-altitude tourism market mainly focuses on aerial sightseeing and skydiving. According to the Hainan Provincial Development and Reform Commission, in 2024, Hainan recorded 209,800 takeoffs and landings for aerial sightseeing and 14,900 for skydiving, accounting for 48 percent and 44 percent of the national totals, respectively.

Flight hours for aerial sightseeing and skydiving reached 11,200 and 3,600 hours, respectively, representing 28 percent and 31 percent of national totals, with both categories ranking first in China.

Policy support has played a key role in the sector's growth. China has included low-altitude economy in the government work report for two consecutive years, vigorously promoting its development.

As an innovative application of the low-altitude economy, low-altitude tourism has injected new vitality into tourism while revealing the sector's enormous market potential.

Many local governments have also taken proactive steps to develop low-altitude tourism. In July 2024, Guangzhou introduced a series of measures to support low-altitude tourism and aerial sports development. In January 2025, Shanghai successfully tested its first low-altitude passenger route directly connecting to a hotel, enriching the city's tourism offerings in the area.

A three-year plan on the development of low-altitude economy in Hainan from 2024 to 2026 proposes expanding low-altitude aircraft tourism scenarios. It supports cities and counties along Hainan's round-the-island highway to open low-altitude tourism routes using helicopters, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and flying cars, enhancing the diversity of low-altitude tourism.

"With the government's strong support for the low-altitude economy, we're highly confident about the future of skydiving and the entire low-altitude tourism sector," Zhang said.

Chen Yao, director of a Hainan-based tourism development research institute, said in the future Hainan will develop low-altitude tourism along the round-the-island highway, creating multi-dimensional, immersive and innovative tourism products. ■