China-Africa Tourism Conference on the cards

Lazarus Sauti

Most countries in southern Africa depend on tourism as the main contributor to their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with the industry being an essential engine driving their economy.

To tap from tourism and lift citizens from abject poverty, most – if not all – countries in the region are positioning themselves as leaders in offering friendly destinations to tourists from Europe and Asia.

In an endeavor to consolidate its tourism promotion efforts and position itself as a destinations of choice, especially in offering a Chinese- friendly destination, Zimbabwe is hosting the first ever China-Africa Tourism Conference from 20 to 23 March 2017 in Victoria Falls.

Hosted by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) in collaboration with the Chinese Friendly International, led by Dr Kurt Grotsch – who also is the Dean of Catedra, a Chinese think-tank comprising of over 150 academics, researchers, lawyers and tourism experts in the Chinese market – the conference is expected to gather over 1 000 tourism players and experts from Africa and China.

Among the expected delegates are also the African Tourism ministers, heads of national tourism organisations, Chinese Embassies in Africa, United Nations World Tourism Organisation, Pacific Association Travel Association (PATA) and World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF).

“The hosting of the China-Africa Conference offers a pan-African collaborative approach in destination marketing,” said ZTA in a recent statement. “The aim is to benefit from the multitudes of Chinese long-haul travel to the African continent.”

ZTA added that the move to host this inaugural conference are clear signs by the destination promotion leaders to reach out to the Chinese market more, given that the 46 percent decline experienced in that market only attaining 6 925 arrivals in 2015 from 12 927 arrivals in 2014.

“This is also a worrisome trend, a departure from the 30 549 Chinese arrivals recorded in 2011,” ZTA said. “This sad development is coming at a time when other African countries like Egypt, South Africa, Tanzania, Angola and Kenya are now reaping the benefits of destination promotion consistency through a visible market presence in China as they continue to record phenomenal increases in their arrivals from this market.”

According to The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) – the China National Tourism Organisation, 120 million Chinese travelled abroad during 2015.

CNTA has also revised that by 2020, China will provide over 600 million outbound tourists from the earlier projected 240 million. This reaffirms China’s position as the world’s biggest outbound tourism market since 2012.

In recent years, Chinese tourists have topped the global ranking of per capita outbound consumption, making China the world’s biggest source of tourists with the biggest spending power, and contributing to the development of the global tourism sector.

According to Tourism Highlights, 2015 Edition of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), China – the world’s biggest source of tourists – continues its supernormal growth, thanks to the increase of disposable income, strong exchange rate of renminbi, improved travel facilities and policy incentives for outbound tourism.

China’s outbound tourism market has grown remarkably in the past two decades, benefiting a batch of tourist destinations worldwide, in particular those in the Asian Pacific region.

Now most countries globally are competing for the Chinese tourist market, as they outdo each other to lure these tourists.

It is expected that China's per capita travel and global income contribution will double in 2020.

ZTA chief executive officer, Karikoga Kaseke said participants will engage in knowledge transfer on how African countries can easily penetrate the Chinese market, and at the end of the conference, real experience Chinese-African encounters will be compiled in the form of a White book, which will further enhance knowledge sharing.

“It is our sincere hope that this white book will help to bridge the gap between Africa and China as ancient elder and scholar; Xu Xiake a far and wide traveler himself once said his natives ‘read ten thousand volumes of books and travel ten thousand miles’,” noted Kaseke. 

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