The first large group of inbound leisure tourists from China will touch down in Johannesburg on March 29, marking the official return of the crucial source market to South Africa after more than three years.
While business travel from China has steadily picked up since the end of lockdown restrictions, this will be the first large group of leisure tourists jetting in from the country since South Africa was approved as one of only 20 countries for group travel on February 6.
Air China flight CA867 will land at OR Tambo International Airport at 07h30. Amongst the passengers on the Boeing 777-300 will be a group of 13 clients of GZL International Travel, the largest travel agency in the Guangdong Province, home to 126 million people. This follows the relaunch of the travel agency’s South African product offering, and is the first of a series of bookings made with tour operator, SA Magic Travel.
“We are extremely excited to have the Chinese market returning. It is an invaluable market for our industry due to its size, spending power, potential for job creation and the diversification of products,” said SATSA CEO, David Frost.
The landmark flight signals the start of what the South African tourism industry hopes will be a strong influx of travellers from China. South African Tourism, working with leading private-sector associations, has identified the Asian powerhouse as one of its top three emerging source markets.
In February, SA Tourism kicked off its in-person marketing activities in China. The tourism board projects that the country will be a leading source market for arrivals by 2030, when 228 million Chinese tourists are expected to be travelling the globe.
Relief for China-focused operators
South African tour operators focused on the Chinese market have endured a difficult few years. Terry Fenton-Wells, MD of SA Magic Travel, said the return of Chinese leisure tourists had entailed a “mammoth” behind-the-scenes effort.
“Between the airlines and the travel agents and governments, a huge amount of work has been done to ensure the return of leisure travel from China, by encouraging the market and recognising the massive pent-up demand for travel,” said Fenton-Wells, expressing her excitement at the arrival of the high-end tour group.
“To have such an important source market back is hugely beneficial for everyone, including the tour guides and accommodation establishments. We will be giving this first group the warmest South African welcome upon landing and can’t wait to once again show the Chinese market what our country has to offer,” said Fenton-Wells.
SA Magic hopes to rebuild the number of Mandarin-speaking guides it employs, close to the 25 it employed prior to the pandemic.
Visa issues need to be dealt with
Notwithstanding the excitement surrounding the flight, Fenton-Wells said the arduous visa process remained a significant obstacle in securing arrivals from China.
China was one of 14 key countries earmarked for the launch of an e-visa at the beginning of 2022, but despite the nation’s recognised tourism potential, the process has stalled.
“The visa process is still extremely arduous and is the number-one hindrance to attracting more Chinese travellers. We are disappointed that this has not been addressed by government, particularly considering the vast potential and desire from China,” said Fenton-Wells.
