Africa risks missing out on a growing wave of Chinese travellers because many destinations are not treating China as a strategic tourism market, according to industry experts.
Despite increasing interest in Africa among Chinese tourists, stakeholders say relatively little is being spent on Chinese marketing, trade engagement and destination promotion.
The warning comes as arrival figures show that China remains one of the country’s slowest-recovering source markets. According to Statistics SA, Chinese arrivals in South Africa declined by 31,8% year on year in the first quarter of 2026. Recovery remains well below pre-pandemic levels with arrivals reaching just 29,8% of 2019 volumes.
SATSA CEO David Frost said the figures highlight the need for continued focus on visa efficiency, airline connectivity, trade confidence and targeted marketing.
“This is despite the implementation of the Trusted Tour Operator Scheme over a year ago and the rollout of the Electronic Travel Authorisation system to China and India from November 2025,” Frost added.
Based on SA Tourism’s 2025 arrivals and spending data, Chinese visitors generated approximately R890 million (US$54.7 million) in tourism expenditure from just under 38 000 arrivals. That translates to an estimated spend of more than R23 000 (US$1 415) per visitor.
SATSA estimates that a modest 5% increase in Chinese arrivals could generate an additional R44.5 million (US$2.7 million) in direct tourism spending. A 20% increase could contribute nearly R178 million (US$10.9 million) to the economy.
“For a sector that supports jobs across every province, those numbers matter,” Frost said.
China overlooked
The challenge extends beyond South Africa. Across Africa, tourism boards have identified China as a strategic growth market yet many destinations are not investing sufficiently to capture demand, according to Michael Jones, Co-Founder of Beijing-based China Create Consulting.
“African tourism boards and stakeholders don’t take China nearly as seriously as they do Europe and North America,” said Jones. “In terms of priority and budget allocation, China is seemingly quite far down the list.”
The contrast is particularly visible between North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
While leading destinations such as Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa record Chinese arrivals in the tens of thousands, countries like Morocco and Egypt attract visitors in the hundreds of thousands and continue investing heavily to expand their market share.
“North Africa is punching far above Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of Chinese tourist arrivals,” Jones added.
He believes visibility is one of the key reasons. While many African tourism boards attend trade shows in China, engagement often ends there.
Few destinations maintain an active presence on Chinese social media platforms such as RedNote, which has become a major travel discovery channel. Many also lack dedicated Chinese-speaking representatives to engage regularly with tour operators, online travel agencies and media, added Jones.
Huge opportunity
Despite this, Chinese interest in Africa is growing. As China’s outbound travel market matures, many experienced travellers have already visited Europe, North America and Oceania and are increasingly looking for new destinations and experiences.
“There is no doubt a huge increase in interest in the continent,” said Jones. “Africa and South America are among the last major regions still waiting to be fully explored by Chinese travellers.”
According to Jones, three factors increasingly determine whether destinations succeed in attracting Chinese visitors: safety, air connectivity and visa accessibility.
Chinese travellers rely heavily on social media reviews and recommendations from other travellers when choosing destinations. Air access also remains important. While one-stop itineraries are generally acceptable, multiple connections can be a deterrent.
Visa requirements remain another key consideration
“Visa-free entry or visa-on-arrival is, without doubt, preferred,” Jones said. “Chinese tourists often do not plan very far in advance and many competing destinations already offer simplified entry procedures.”
He said African destinations need long-term China engagement strategies that include Mandarin-language marketing, regular engagement with the travel trade, annual roadshows in major Chinese cities and more familiarisation trips for travel agents and influencers.
“Africa must begin treating China not as a secondary market but as a strategic priority.”
While Chinese interest in Africa is rising and visa barriers are gradually easing, Jones warned that growing demand alone will not guarantee visitor arrivals.
“The next phase of tourism growth will belong to destinations willing to invest consistently, build relationships and meet Chinese travellers where they are.”
