South African Tourism hosted a roadshow of travel trade workshops in China’s key cities, Beijing, Chongqing and Shenzhen, this week. The roadshow showcased top tour operators and updated the market on new attractions and tourism offerings available in South Africa.
The workshops started in Beijing and were attended by Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom, Minister Plenipotentiary for the Embassy of South African in Beijing Debora Balasteng and SA Tourism CEO, Sisa Ntshona.
Hanekom commented that South Africa remained an appealing destination for Chinese travellers with its diverse attractions and world-class infrastructure, adding that that workshops served as a “valuable networking opportunity for creating and consolidating new business and trade opportunities”. Hanekom also hoped the workshops would boost confidence in the destination among outbound operators and travel agents.
The workshops also showcased SA Tourism’s training programmes for the Chinese travel trade, as well as signature experiences of this year’s campaign honouring Nelson Mandela 100 years after his birth.
The ‘Nelson Mandela Centenary Campaign 2018’ introduces 100 travel experiences that celebrate major milestones in Mandela’s life. The campaign is available for tourists to access via the ‘Madiba’s Journey’ app, which is also available in Mandarin.
This year also marks the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and South Africa, which is being celebrated through a concerted tourism drive. Air access between the two countries has increased, with daily flights between Johannesburg and Beijing and Guangzhou. Additionally, flights between Johannesburg and Hong Kong are popular amongst Chinese travellers, with Cathay Pacific’s new, non-stop flights between Hong Kong and Cape Town launching later in November also set to boost tourism.
