Holidays on the wild side

Pristine nature, wildlife, a city lifestyle, affordable luxury and amazing adventures have made South Africa popular with Chinese visitors. [Photo Provided to China Daily]

South Africa makes efforts to attract more Chinese visitors

Compelling experiences combining pristine nature, wildlife, a city lifestyle, affordable luxury and amazing adventures, ranging from mountain hiking to shark cage-diving, have made South Africa popular with Chinese visitors.

The number of Chinese visitors to South Africa surged in 2016.

A total of 117,000 Chinese visited South Africa last year, representing a 38 percent year-on-year increase, according to the South African tourism authorities.

And the country is making moves to grab a bigger slice of the booming Chinese outbound tourism market.

"Compared to other source markets, China is still maturing," says Bradley Brouwer, the president of South African Tourism's Asia Pacific operations.

"The awareness of South Africa's tourism offerings (in Chinese cities) ranged from largely unaware to some awareness ... and the growth rate in arrivals is rising," he adds.

South African Tourism held road shows in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong over late February-early March.

And this year it is focusing on the excitement, surprise, joy and awe awaiting Chinese visitors to South Africa.

"We are proud to invite visitors to encounter the jaw-dropping 'Wow!' moments, once-in-a-lifetime experiences and unforgettable adventures found nowhere else in the world," says Brouwer.

"South Africa casts a spell because it is not manufactured and mundane but authentically raw and unfiltered, which is exactly what today's travelers seek," he says.