S. Africa eyes surge in Chinese travelers

South Africa anticipates a surge in global visitors next year, especially from China and India, boosted by its streamlined visa policies and the prospect of hosting the G20 summit, says a senior government official.

Patricia de Lille, South Africa's minister of tourism, said the country has ramped up efforts to attract international tourists by engaging with potential investors and taking part in global exhibitions throughout the year.

"Next year, we expect a lot more Chinese and Indian visitors. We finally solved the visa issues for Chinese and Indian citizens," de Lille said.

Starting Jan 20, accredited tour operators will handle visa applications for groups traveling from China and India, eliminating the need for tourists to visit South African embassies, she said.

South Africa's tourism, home affairs and state security authorities have vetted these selected tour operators to ensure smooth visa processing, she added.

The Department of Home Affairs has also deployed experienced officials for handling group applications from Chinese and Indian tourists.

Many Chinese and Indian tourists love traveling in groups, de Lille said, and South Africa is committed to making travel more convenient for them.

"We have introduced electronic visa authorization where you can apply online, and the turnaround time for visas is now two to three days. The Chinese are interested in our rich culture and cuisine and they want to (explore) our townships and villages. The chicken feet we eat is a delicacy in China, too," she said.

In 2019, South Africa welcomed 10 million tourists, but the figures decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the trend is now reversing, with 8.5 million tourists visiting the country last year. De Lille expressed optimism that South Africa will return to pre-pandemic tourism levels by the end of this year.

South Africa assumed the G20 presidency on Dec 1 and will host the summit next year, a development de Lille said will boost the country's tourism sector.

"We are excited to host the G20 summit ... we will host between 200 and 300 business events in the country. Many G20 working group meetings and ministerial ones will be held in different parts of the country," she said.

Councilors, ministers and senior government officials will conduct outreach programs all over the country to educate the public about the G20 presidency, its benefits and the importance of extending a warm welcome to international visitors, she added.

Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero said the city would host several G20 meetings and expected a significant influx of international tourists.

Thato Mothopeng, national coordinator of the South African Township and Village Tourism Association, said they will compile some conferences and tourism offerings to the Department of Tourism so that they can benefit from the G20 summit.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.