After COVID-19 outbreak, more than 80,000 tourists trapped in Chinese resort city of Sanya

Following a Covid-19 flare-up led authorities to impose strict travel restrictions, more than 80,000 tourists are stranded in a resort city popularly known as "China's Hawaii".

Located on the southern island of Hainan, tourism hotspot Sanya is a city of more than a million people.

With authorities halting train ticket sales, all flights out of the city were cancelled over the weekend after Hainan reported 483 cases.

According to Chinese health authorities, tourists who want to leave must test negative in five polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests over seven days.

A Chinese official said during a news briefing that hotels in the city have been asked to offer guests a 50 per cent discount until the travel restrictions ease.

Currently, only essential services such as supermarkets and pharmacies remain open in Sanya which is a popular surfing spot.

Battering local tourism, China is the only major economy still holding fast to a zero-Covid-19 strategy with snap lockdowns and long quarantines.

Halting international tourism, the country's borders have also remained largely closed since early 2020.

(With inputs from agencies)

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