Since the BRICS Xiamen Summit concluded successfully in early September, the ways in which people could benefit from the Summit in daily life have already surfaced. One of the great benefits is that in the near future, traveling between BRICS countries may become much easier, because cooperation in tourism is one of the 9 proposals to be further explored according to the Xiamen Declaration.
As the Chinese Yuan (CNY) enjoys an exchange rate advantage over the South African Rand (ZAR), and there are direct flights between Beijing and Johannesburg as well as convenient transfer in Hong Kong, South Africa, a member nation of the BRICS and a popular travel destination, is attracting more and more Chinese tourists.
Four Chinese guests share their experience of traveling in South Africa at the promotion event.
On the afternoon of November 3, the South African Tourist Board hosted a promotional event in Guangzhou, introducing its wildlife safari and coffee culture to locals here. Starting from November 3, without going abroad people in South China can get a glimpse of South Africa’s charm by visiting local Pacific Coffee brew bars.
As part of this promotional event, a South African style coffee shop experience has been offered around South China since November 3. People can enjoy authentic South African coffee offered by baristas who have personally recently explored and experienced the coffee culture in South Africa.
Mr. Bradley Brouwer, the South African President of Tourism for the Asia Pacific region, explained that many people don’t know that Africa is actually the birthplace of coffee and that coffee beans are one of South Africa’s major exports. That’s also why coffee culture is distinctive and still flourishing in South Africa.
The design of the accessories is inspired by a marine safari in South Africa.
Furthermore, limited-edition gift bags with African drip bag coffee, a hand-drawn map of South Africa and specially designed bracelet have gone on sale in Guangzhou and Shenzhen’s Pacific Coffee shops and online stores as well. It’s worth mentioning that the design of the accessories is inspired by a South African marine safari, featuring dolphins, whales, sharks and other sea creatures.
Shirley Chen, the South African Tourist Board for China Marketing Communications Manager, told the reporter that tourists can view whales and dolphin from close up even at the seaside, and have close encounters with sharks as well as witness the sardine run - the greatest shoal on Earth in the seas around South Africa.
Shirley Chen in an interview at the promotion event.
According to Shirley, the South African Tourist Board has also launched a parent-child eco-adventure tour named “Marine Ranger” in North China, inviting Chinese parents and children to learn about the marine environment and creatures in South Africa, so as to help the children develop awareness about protecting the oceans. The program is now being carried out in North China as a pilot project and will probably be rolled out in East and South China in the future, said Shirley.
To make the travel experience from China even more seamless, South Africa has established visa facilitation centers in 9 Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an, Shenyang, Wuhan, Jinan and Hangzhou. The South African Tourist Board also works with Zhongshan’s Tourist Board to exhibit South Africa’s tourist goods in Zhongshan, and vice versa.
(Author: Monica Liu; Editors: Simon Haywood)
