African Tourism: In Continuous Search of the Chinese Market

The Chinese tourist has been an essential aspiration for African tourism for more than 15 years. The achievements of the continent's tourism sector in capturing the Chinese market have not been sustained over time due to the multiplicity of problems affecting the continent. The pandemic and the war in Europe are the two major causes of affectation in this long list.

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Today, the challenge calls them back, when several countries on the continent are investing heavily to implement new marketing and distribution strategies for tourism services and products for the Asian giant's market.

"Covid wiped out much of the tourism sector, especially in poorer parts of the world, such as Africa", says Mike Fabricius, a tourism management, consulting and marketing specialist at The Journey, a Johannesburg-based company.

"Some African countries rely heavily on foreign exchange brought in by tourists and the money they spend in domestic markets. Losing that for a few years was a very, very hard blow," added Fabricius.

After the pandemic has passed and thanks to the neutrality assumed by both African countries and China in the European conflict, both trading partners are strengthening new commercial ties in the sector, which had been lost due to the effects of Covid.

In 2019, before the pandemic, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimated that tourism on the African continent recorded an annual growth rate of 5% and represented an average of 8.5% of GDP. According to the WTTC, direct investment in the sector was around $29 billion (approximately 26.4 million euros) and created 24.3 million direct jobs, representing 6.4% of Africa's total workforce. However, COVID-19 travel bans cost Africa at least one-third to one-half of these figures.

The central strategy of this marketing campaign is, as always, the design of a customized, competitive and high-quality flight structure.

China has managed to recover from the effects of covid and is now in a position to occupy and surpass the African tourism market share it had before the pandemic. China is gradually returning to normal life in the country. For three years, we have not been immunized. The investments made are aimed at capturing a long waiting list that exists in the Chinese market, of middle-class citizens who can and want to enjoy a nature destination of extensive ecological, cultural and social values.

"We are already getting more Chinese to visit our major attractions, such as the Masai Mara Game Reserve, by marketing on WeChat and TikTok. Between January and April [2023], 8,000 Chinese tourists entered Nairobi. In the same period in 2022, less than 6,000 came,″ details John Chirchir, acting director general of the Kenya Tourism Board.

South Africa, Egypt, Kenya and Tanzania are some of the countries now offering more direct flights to China. Kenya is partnering with the Asian giant's social media platforms.