Dubrovnik mayor Andro Vlahušić and mayor of Chinese city Sanya, Wang Yong signed a charter twinning the two cities on April 21st. Chinese ambassador to Croatia NJ.E. Shen Zhifei was present for the ceremony in Dubrovnik.
At the signing of the agreement it was emphasised that the two cities would work together in the fields of business, culture and tourism. Mayor Yong expressed his hopes that the agreement would bring more tourists to both areas and highlighted that members of the delegation from Sanya were interested in potential investment in the hotel industry in Dubrovnik.
According to Mayor Vlahušić Dubrovnik can learn a lot about tourism and living alongside nature from Sanya. With around 680, 000 residents, Sanya is a modern holiday destination for around 11 million tourists a year and is home to some of the largest hotel brand names in the world. Dubrovnik Airport and the City of Dubrovnik are currently in negotiations with the marketing director of Hainan Airlines and the Chinese Embassy regarding the establishing of a Sanya – Dubrovnik direct flight route. Such a move would make Dubrovnik the door to South Eastern Europe for Chinese tourists who travel in the out of season period.
