With its rolling winelands, picturesque coasts and iconic wildlife, South Africa is a prime destination for international tourists, but industry experts say the government needs to work on attracting more visitors from one massive market: China.
Arrivals from China were up in the first 11 months of 2023 thanks to the Asian giant’s reopening and new direct flight routes, said Thandiwe Mathibela, a spokeswoman for South African Tourism, the tourism marketing arm of the South African government.
“China saw a massive 215.7% surge, amounting to 34,669 arrivals. The reopening of the Chinese market and the initiation of direct flight routes have catalyzed a resurgence in arrivals, highlighting the vast potential and significance of this market to South African tourism,” she told VOA.
But Chinese visitors to South Africa still make up a very small share of overall foreign arrivals. From January of last year until November, around 8 million tourists…