During the May Day holiday, the outbound travel market for Chinese tourists was booming. In addition to traditional popular destinations such as Southeast Asia and Europe, "Travel to Africa" is also a growing wanderlust phenomenon. More Chinese tourists are now seen near the Pyramids of Egypt and on the Kenyan savannah. Not only Chinese tourists but also international tourists favor Africa. The first World Tourism Barometer of the year released by the UNWTO shows that Africa received 66.4 million international tourist arrivals in 2023, and Sub-Saharan Africa received 39.6 million international tourist arrivals. Analysts note that Africa's robust tourism growth stems from multiple recovery measures by African countries, injecting new momentum into regional economic development.
African Safari Attracting Tourists from Multiple Countries
This May Day holiday, Ms. Chen from Zhejiang, China, took her children on a nature-immersive trip to Kenya. "My child has always enjoyed observing wildlife. Watching lions hunt on Kenya's vast grasslands taught us nature's laws more vividly than books ever could," said Ms. Chen, describing how they followed experienced guides for safe and intimate wildlife encounters in the reserve—an utterly novel experience.
Although the May Day holiday is not the peak season for witnessing the Great Migration of African wildlife, a considerable number of Chinese tourists still choose to visit Kenya, immersing themselves in the local natural ecosystems across various scenic zones. Kevin, Head of Chimpanzee Africa Travel Agency, said tourists could follow local guides in off-road vehicles through savannas to observe the daily lives of African elephants, rhinos, lions, giraffes, wildebeests and the like wildlife.
The Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Temple of Luxor... along the banks of the Nile River in Africa, numerous temples and ancient ruins are scattered, attracting many Chinese tourists to Egypt. "During this year's May Day holiday, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Egypt showed significant growth compared to the same period last year, with tour groups remaining the preferred travel option. The number of independent travelers has also increased significantly, with a greater emphasis on freedom and personalized choices." Wang Peizhong, President of the Egyptian Chinese Association, has been in the tourism industry for years. His travel agency receives new tourists daily, offering customized services such as tailored itineraries, airport transfers, Chinese-speaking guides and Chinese cuisine.
Data show that Africa is becoming one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists. On the list of popular niche countries for this year’s "May Day" holiday released by the travel platform Mafengwo, four African countries — Egypt, Morocco, Kenya and Mauritius — were featured. According to Statistics South Africa, the number of international tourists arriving in South Africa saw a significant surge last year, with the total number of Chinese tourists reaching 37,000, representing a year-on-year increase of 205.5%. The Tanzanian tourism department estimated that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Tanzania grew from roughly 34,000 in 2019 to approximately 44,000 in 2023.
In addition to Chinese tourists, visitors from other countries also favor Africa. According to Radio France Internationale, Egypt received 14.9 million tourists in 2023, generating approximately $15 billion in tourism revenue. Data released by Morocco show that the Country received 14.5 million tourists in 2023, representing an increase of 34% from 2022, with tourism revenue grown by 11.7% year-on-year. Last year, Kenya received 1.75 million international tourists, representing a year-on-year increase of 18%, with tourism revenue grown by 24% year-on-year. Namibia's tourism revenue reached N$7.7 billion in 2023, accounting for 3.7% of the country's GDP. The influx of tourists has stimulated consumption growth, providing substantial support to local hotels, restaurants and related industries.
"The robust recovery of the tourism industry has injected momentum into Africa’s economic development," said Professor Song Wei from the School of International Relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University in an interview with us. Professor Song noted that tourism serves as a pillar industry with immense potential for many African countries, constituting a primary source of foreign exchange earnings. The rapid development of Africa’s tourism sector will contribute to achieving sound economic growth across the continent.
Multiple Drivers of Resources and Policy Superiority
Ancient pyramids, the spectacular Great Migrations and the Victoria Falls — one of the world's three largest waterfalls... from the relics of human civilization to breathtaking natural landscapes, Africa boasts abundant tourism resources, granting its countries superior conditions for tourism development and attracting visitors from around the globe.
To accelerate the recovery of the tourism industry, African countries have actively introduced promotional measures. By the end of last year, the Rwandan government announced visa-free entry for tourists from all African countries; Angola unilaterally implemented a visa-free tourism policy for citizens of 98 countries, including Chinese nationals. Since January this year, the Kenyan government implemented a visa-free policy for global tourists, requiring only an electronic travel authorization instead of a visa application. In the second half of last year, the Nigerian Federal Government established the Federal Ministry of Tourism to better promote its rich cultural heritage and tourist attractions.
To boost tourism, some African countries are strengthening their internal capabilities. At the end of last year, the Kenya Tourism Board launched the "2023-2028 Tourism Development Strategy", aiming to attract 5.5 million international tourists annually and achieve tourism revenue of approximately $6.63 billion by 2028. The Kenyan Government is also focusing on premium tourism by promoting wildlife migration routes to attract more international visitors; and making intensified efforts to develop ancillary facilities such as hotels, expanding the scale of hotel management training institutions to cultivate more professionals of hospitality industry. To create a safer tourism environment for international visitors, the South African Government recently introduced a series of measures, such as enhancing security patrols at 59 key tourist sites nationwide and providing timely information and assistance to tourists; governmental authorities have also launched mobile applications to facilitate prompt access to safety alerts and relevant support.
The booming tourism industry has brought opportunities of growth to African economies. According to the Africanews, tourism has created numerous job opportunities for African countries by enhancing aviation infrastructure, streamlining visa procedures and implementing tourism marketing strategies. The World Travel & Tourism Council predicts that, given the current development momentum across the African Continent, Africa's tourism industry will grow at an average annual rate of 5.1%.
Promoting China-Africa Cooperation in Tourism to a Higher Level
Recently, the "Tourism Capacity Building Training Seminar for English-Speaking African Countries", sponsored by China's Ministry of Commerce and organized by the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration, was held in Beijing and Hangzhou. 26 officials and experts from Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and other countries participated in this Seminar.
This training program focused on themes such as tourism policies, scenic spot construction and management, standardization development and integrated development of culture and tourism. Experts and scholars from institutions like the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the China Tourism Academy were invited to share China's practical experiences in tourism development, including construction of tourism standardization, optimization of inbound and outbound tourism policies, sustainable tourism development, destination building, management of tourist attractions and resorts, tourism product development and integrated growth of cultural and tourism sectors.
In recent years, with the introduction of favorable measures such as increased direct flights and relaxed visa policies between China and Africa, the demand for Chinese tourists traveling to Africa has been continuously unleashed, leading to a gradual deepening of tourism cooperation between China and Africa. The Report on the Achievements of China-Africa Cooperation Under the Belt and Road Initiative, released by the Office of the Leading Group for Promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, noted that China has signed bilateral tourism cooperation documents with 31 African countries, designated 34 African countries as destinations for Chinese group tourists, and established 166 pairs of sister cities with Africa. Both sides actively invite each other to participate in tourism exhibitions and promotional events, creating platforms for the tourism sectors and industries of China and Africa to exchange experiences, negotiate on business cooperation and promote their products. China has launched the "China-Africa Culture and Tourism Training Cooperation Program" for joint improvement of tourism capacity building with African countries.
"China and Africa each possess distinctive tourism characteristics with strong complementarity, presenting dynamic two-way interaction," analyzed Song Wei. With the furtherance of the Belt and Road Initiative, extensive cooperation has been achieved between China and Africa in advancing visa facilitation, increasing direct flight routes, enhancing tourism safety and quality, strengthening hotel and scenic spot construction, as well as promoting tourism route publicity and yielding fruitful outcomes. Song Wei proposed enhanced China-Africa cooperation in infrastructure development, digital connectivity and environmental/biodiversity conservation to elevate tourism collaboration and ensure safer and more convenient travel of global visitors including Chinese tourists in Africa.