As China continues to ease and axe epidemic control measures, many tourists who have recovered from COVID-19 are opting for trips to locations such as the warm Sanya tourist resort in south China's tropical province of Hainan.

The warm and moist weather is soothing for the recently recovered tourists who are also confident about their antibody to protect their health when enjoying the breathtaking coastline.

"The warm weather will help us recover. It is much more hydrated here. I rarely cough after I came to Sanya," said tourist Wang Kele.

Official data shows that during the three-day New Year's Day holiday from Jan. 1 to 3, nearly 170,000 tourists flocked to Sanya by air, up 7 percent on a monthly basis.

The city's tourism demand started to surge after China decided to loosen travel restrictions on Dec. 6 in 2022.

"Data from Ctrip shows in the first hour after the COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed, searches related to Sanya rose 174 percent. I believe that as the pandemic control measures are optimized, the city's tourism sector will gradually recover," said Chen Linan, Public Relations Director of Ctrip, a Chinese online travel company that provides services including accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and corporate travel management.

The Sanya Tourism Promotion Bureau said tourists who have recovered from COVID-19 are welcome to travel as normal, but urged them to take necessary precautions to prevent possible reinfections.

Many hotels have also advised tourists who feel uncomfortable to quarantine themselves in their hotel rooms.