The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) expects that the upcoming BRICS summit can boost tourism revenue of the country.
TBCSA CEO Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa told Xinhua in an interview that they are looking to the summit to bring in more tourists.
"It's a major event. We're expecting it to boost our tourism. The booking of conference space, restaurants, and hotels will bring in a lot of revenue," Tshivhengwa said.
"We need to look beyond the traditional areas that bring in tourists; we need to focus on countries like China to bring more tourists to the country," he said, adding that South Africa ought to make it simple for Chinese tourists to travel to the country.
The 15th BRICS Summit will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from Aug. 22 to 24.
According to Tshivhengwa, around 93,000 Chinese visitors visited South Africa in 2019. The pandemic interrupted tourism, despite South Africa's efforts to draw tourists from China.
In the first quarter of 2023, foreign direct spending skyrocketed to 25.3 billion rand (1.3 billion U.S. dollars), up by 143.9 percent from a year earlier, according to the Tourism Department's report on International Spending and Tourism Impact.
Thandiwe Mathibela, a spokesperson for South Africa tourism, told Xinhua that the country had started to welcome visitors from China in March this year.
"Events are always the biggest drivers of tourists. People may come to an event for the first time, and they will want to come again to experience the country. Some delegates come with their families," she said.
Dortmund's Reus hopes to sign off in style
Vick Hope wows in a plunging white swimsuit and flashes her leg in a thigh
Havertz scores 2 as Arsenal routs Chelsea 5
Fallacies and facts about China's 'overcapacity'
Black Dog pub manager hints Joe Alwyn is a 'regular' after Taylor Swift name
Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi is 'tickled pink' to inspire a Barbie doll
Vanessa Hudgens the Coachella queen explains why she skipped the festival this year
Iran and the UN nuclear agency are still discussing how to implement a 2023 deal on inspections
RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: Welcome to Balti Towers, Basil Fawlty's new asylum hotel...
Kawhi Leonard returns to the Clippers' lineup for Game 2 against Luka Doncic and the Mavericks