Attracting China consumers requires collective effort

Just over one year to go until we host the 2010 FIFA Word Cup and 2008 tourist arrival figures teach us that we are not winning over sufficient Chinese tourists to our shores. Chinese exit port figures for 2008 show that South Africa experienced a 13.5% drop in Chinese travellers over 2007 resulting in 34,000 while South Africa Tourism figures indicate a drop of 14.9%. As tempting as it is to paint over these facts with a global financial crisis brush, the truth is that there is no relationship between the disappointing figures and the current economic contraction.

So what or who is to blame for this poor state of affairs? Firstly, it needs to be made clear that a number of long haul destinations from China suffered a decrease in arrival numbers due to various factors in 2008. The worst storms and cold experienced in large swathes of the country in decades was compounded by internal rioting in Tibet, and if that wasn’t enough the earthquake in Sichuan distracted its citizens from travelling abroad while government planned trips were immediately frozen. Finally, the 2008 Beijing Olympics offered as good an excuse as any to stay at home and relish in national patriotism with ever accumulating gold medals, something alien to us as South Africans. Traditional destinations such as Europe suffered a decrease in Chinese arrivals, Germany (-6.9%), France (-5.9%) and the UK (-1.4%), but it is clear that the much publicised Olympic torch relay protests and leaders meeting with the Dalai Lama did not help the European situation. Brazil experience a mere drop of 1.2% in arrivals but what also needs to be pointed out is that Australia and New Zealand, countries that should be defined as natural South African competitors for the China outbound market share, experienced increased arrivals.

Always high on optimism, the Chinese government has targeted 9% growth for outbound travel in 2009, a potential 50 million travellers going abroad. While a very high percentage of this 50 million are not expected to travel beyond Hong Kong and Macau (categorised as outbound destinations in Chinese figures) surely South Africa has the ability, sophistication and charm to attract significantly more than 34,000 Chinese travellers? South Africa as a destination for Chinese outbound travel is not living up to its potential but as someone who has lived in China for many years I also appreciate better than most the uphill battle that confronts us. China is after all a country that is still very young in terms of being open to the community of nations, it has over a billion citizens stretched across a vast land divided into numerous provinces and autonomous regions that individually compete with complete countries. Like many South Africans confuse Bangkok with Beijing many Middle Kingdom citizens believe that South Africa is a general region as opposed to a sovereign country yet they all stubbornly know that South Africa mines diamonds and gold, the best the world has to offer, so much so that despite it being cheaper to buy diamonds in Hong Kong many Chinese travel to South Africa in part to buy diamonds, as it is surely cheapest at the source! According to local perceptions, we naturally also have a vast array of wild animals roaming a beautiful landscape.

While it remains important to reinforce the message that South Africa has the big 5 perhaps the time has come to present alternative and more compelling reasons for Chinese tourists to consider before they will board an eighteen hour flight to South Africa. But in order for South Africa to make a significant impact on the Chinese outbound travel market it is essential that all stakeholders come together and coordinate promotional activities. While South Africa Tourism forms the front line of South Africa promotions, to date I have witnessed little to no effort on behalf of the 9 provincial tourism bureau’s. Hospitality companies that stand to benefit the most are almost invisible while wine production boards, golf course associations and investment promotion agencies are nowhere to be seen. The sooner we rid ourselves of one size fits all strategies and coordinate a comprehensive yet creative approach amongst all appropriate stakeholders the sooner we will be able to reach our potential and attract significantly more Chinese tourists.

There is no doubt that doubling Chinese arrivals to South Africa (the current numbers are simply too low) would require a new strategy, increased resources and greater coordination in the face of such an enormous challenge, but in case anyone has been living on the moon for the past six months, the North American and European markets as a source for inbound tourism are no longer reliable.