Exotic appeal of Africa

A wild cheetah stretches on top of a tourist vehicle in Masai Mara, Kenya. Photo provided to China Daily

Xia Lu, general manager of Kenya China Travel & Tours, says these customers usually come in pairs or with no more than 15 people in their group. "They sometimes have four or even five guides, while there are usually one or two for most group travelers. Instead of visiting parks by car, they fly. Rather than international chain hotels, they choose private lodges," says Xia.

The price of the lodges can be $1,000 and even up to $2,000 a night for one room shared by adults, and a charter flight with a capacity of up to 12 from the airport in Nairobi to the parks may cost more than $2,000.

Xia says such tourists spend 70,000 yuan to 80,000 yuan on average on their trip, up to four times what is spent by the average group traveler.

Many high-end and luxury resorts have started to promote their brands in China. In Kenya, the Safari Collection, Governors' Camp and Loisaba Wilderness are working with Chinese tour companies to promote their luxury services in China.

The Safari Collection, for example, runs Giraffe Manor, where animals often visit and poke their necks into the windows of guest rooms hoping for a treat. It costs about $500 per adult per night, sharing a room, on a fully inclusive basis.

Some African governments have noted the spending power of Chinese tourists and are willing to bet on them. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said during his visit to China last year that the goal of the country's tourism industry was to attract 1.3 million Chinese annually.

The efforts of the tourism industry alone are not enough, and African governments need to put tourism higher on their priority lists, Jones says.

Only South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Morocco have tourism promotion agencies in China. Other countries have not set up any organizations dedicated to attract Chinese tourists.

"They need to shout louder to the Chinese market," Jones says.

Promotion can make a big difference, he says, citing the example of Kenya, which attracts hundreds of thousands of Chinese to watch the migration of rhinos and other animals every year.

China Central Television carried live broadcasts of the migrations in 2012 and 2013, making them a widely known wonder in China.