Chinese tourist arrivals in Africa are up, so why aren't African travel companies more excited?
Africa is becoming an increasingly popular holiday destination among adventure-seeking Chinese tourists. The numbers of visitors who went to Africa in 2016 was up sharply due to looser visa restrictions and new direct flights between China and Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa among other popular destinations. Chinese arrivals in South Africa alone were up 93% last year.
You'd think this would be great news for Africa's embattled travel operators, right? After all, Westerners turned away from the continent in large numbers after the Ebola outbreak, terrorism incidents in Kenya, Nigeria and Tunisia as well as the ongoing economic uncertainties at home. So a new market of wealthy travelers, this time from China, should be warmly welcomed by all those hotels, safari parks, bus operators and other travel suppliers whose livelihoods depend on satisfying overseas visitors. Wrong.
So while there are often loud complaints of Chinese businesses undercutting local companies in Africa, this is an example where those local companies may actually deserve their fate when they fail to capitalize on such a massive opportunity to serve this new market.
"They just don't get it," said Kampala-based tourism consultant Sandra Rwese about the failure of African travel companies to take advantage of this new market of Chinese tourists. Even though 133 million Chinese went overseas last year, and elsewhere almost every country is battling for a piece of this huge, lucrative market, in Africa it's business as usual according to Rwese.
"They're not not adapting their offer, their menus, localizing their marketing for the Chinese traveler, nothing. It's really surprising," she explained as to why African travel operators are struggling so hard to both attract and cater to Chinese tourists. Since African suppliers are not effectively serving this new market, Chinese companies are increasingly filling the void themselves, said Rwese, by building their own tourism infrastructure across Africa to serve the growing number of Mandarin and Chinese speaking travelers.
Chinese entrepreneurs in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa are funding hotels, restaurants and bus tours with culturally-attuned travel services, effectively taking the opportunity right out from under local competitors. So while there are often loud complaints of Chinese businesses undercutting local companies in Africa, this is an example where those local companies may actually deserve their fate when they fail to capitalize on such a massive opportunity to serve this new market.
Sandra Rwese joins Eric & Cobus to explain why she thinks African travel companies are so reluctant to embrace the new Chinese tourist and how it may already be too late for African companies to effectively compete.
Join the discussion. What do you think of the surging number of Chinese tourists in Africa and around the world? Share your thoughts.
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Twitter: @eolander | @stadenesque
HSE Officer.
7 年Its obvious that China doesnt go where profit does not follow.The Chinese are business and profit oriented,they come in disguise as tourist but are looking for some business opportunities.
human resources manager at african olive trading 187 pty ltd
7 年It's Chinese dominance and colonialism through wealth enticement and the poor African countries economies being caught in the economic downturn in the long-term future plans for the compliments the same as the risk of developing void economic growth and development of the Human race
human resources manager at african olive trading 187 pty ltd
7 年it's actually not tourists visiting Africa. it's Chinese entrepreneurs seeking business opportunities in Africa as they know that even though the Africans may welcome them but they will not be able to give them culturally inclined services. secondly the Chinese dictate prices and rates as they
Co-Founder & Product Lead, Rentmo, Inc.
7 年We the current young generation in Africa are getting a raw deal from the careless corrupt viewpoints of our parent and leaders generation who are bidding our continent to the Chinese give young people no opportunity to create factors of production. This is colonial
HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
7 年Great article. Though too late , there is always something to gain