Johannesburg - They may be just 14-strong, but the group of tourists who arrived on an Air China flight from Beijing this week, once again cemented South Africa’s place in the top 20 tourism hierarchy of the world.
Flight 867 from Beijing-Shenzhen-Johannesburg touched down to much fanfare at OR Tambo International Airport and marked a significant milestone as the first flight for group tours since the pandemic started in 2020.
South Africa is among the first 20 destinations to which China has sent group tours and this flight serves as a significant step towards resuming normal travel activities between the two countries. South Africa has 24 core tourism markets and China is one of them.
Managing director at SA Magic Tours, Terry Fenton-Wells, who has more than 20 years experience in the Chinese tourism market, said the visitors are delighted to travel again after China’s three-year lockdown.
“Before Covid-19 we would average between 30 and 40 tour groups per month. This flight and this group now means that hotels, coach companies, curio shops and the whole value chain can go back to pre-Covid operations. It was critical for us to get the Chinese market opened. It’s going to be a tough road ahead but we are up and running, pretty quickly,” said an enthusiastic Fenton-Wells.
Managing director at CHadex Tour Operators, Charles Wang, said the last three years have been tough for him but he’s optimistic about the future and the arrivals of the first Chinese tourists.
“I at least had my logistics business to fall back on during the lockdown, but now things will definitely get much better,” he said.
The general manager at Air China in SA, Joe Hu expressed a strong desire for China/SA tourism to get back to pre-Covid times.
“We will now have three flights a week between the two countries. The next group of tourists arrive on Monday (April 3). Each of our flights has at least 200 Chinese tourists. SA is a very popular destination with Chinese tourists,” Hu said.
Chief Operating Officer at SA Tourism, Nomasonto Ndlovu did not contain her excitement, expressing that this is the development that SA has been waiting for.
“China is such an important source market for us. Before the pandemic, we averaged eight thousand Chinese tourists per month, 100 000 visitors per year, but our new target is to get a million Chinese tourists every year, which we believe will translate into R100 billion in spend. The resumption of Air China flights to SA marks the beginning of a new tourism future for the two nations,” she said.
This year also marks the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and SA, and the BRICS summit, scheduled for August, is set to bolster relations even further.
“Investment is on the increase. We are connecting and reconnecting SA and China and this will bring the much-needed economic boost to the sector. I am also hoping that we can have more than three flights per week,” added Ndlovu.
CEO of Gauteng Tourism, Judi Nwokedi said the arrivals of the first post-Covid tourists is an historic occasion.
“This week, the world marks three years on since the first lockdown. For me it’s a very emotional week. Dates, times and travel, mark the passage of time and tourism helps us fill our memory banks,” she said.
Nwokedi said the pandemic was a tremendous setback for SA Tourism, especially as SA tries to record Gross Domestic Product (GDP) levels like those seen in other countries.
“Gauteng has the seventh biggest GDP in Africa. This province contributes 35% to SA’s entire GDP and we are now once again on track to grow economic prospects for the province and the country,” she said.
The Deputy Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in SA, Yujiang Zhou said he had been in talks with 20 hotels before the arrival of the first tourists and said the embassy is expecting “huge” numbers of Chinese tourists to descend on our shores.
“The hospitality and the unique culture is what draws most Chinese visitors to SA. It’s not just your natural beauty and your wildlife, it's your people. Globally, we support each other and trade between the two nations grew by 5% despite the pandemic. While this may not seem like much, it’’s one of the very few positive growths we have seen,” he said.
More than 200 Chinese companies conduct business in SA and this translates into 400 000 local jobs.
“As China develops, we want SA and the rest of the world to develop with us. SA has been enjoying the investment from China. We have been around for 5 000 years and we are waiting for you,” said Zhou, encouraging South Africans to also travel to China.
Meanwhile, Nwokedi said while the Covid-19 pandemic buried the tourism sector, hope springs anew.
“We have Lesedi Village (Randfontein) where staff now speak Mandarin. There is nothing that touches you more than to be spoken to in your own language. It really transforms the visitor's experience,” she added.
Ndlovu also committed that SA is doing everything to fast-track the E-visas for visitors. Asked whether the small tourist group is an indication of China’s cautious approach, Zhou said: “There is always a yes to cautiousness. In China, we have gone through very difficult times but we are in a better place now than we were a year ago. There have been many relaxations of restrictions and we are looking forward to good things.”