World Travel Market Africa has launched a partnership with China Travel Online to tap into the potentially enormous Chinese outbound travel market, which is already predicted to exceed 264 million trips.

WTM Africa, one of the leading business-to-business travel events, has formed a strategic buyer and media partnership with China Travel Online, a leading Chinese outbound travel portal. 

In a press statement, the show organisers say that this partnership will facilitate engagement with key Chinese tourism stakeholders at the 2024 show in Cape Town from April 10 to 12, 2024. The collaboration will see WTM Africa host several prominent Chinese buyers for pre-scheduled business meetings and networking sessions with exhibitors.

The China Market session during the WTM Africa conference is another highlight. It will share the latest China outbound market updates with the industry and how to penetrate the world’s largest tourism source market effectively, say the organisers.

They add that 2024 edition of WTM Africa in Cape Town will include business meetings, content sessions, and networking focused on empowering the expansion of African tourism.

The statement says that the China outbound travel market in 2024 is projected to be strong. The China Tourism Academy predicts that the recovery process of the inbound and outbound tourism market will further accelerate in 2024, with annual inbound and outbound tourism trips exceeding 264 million trips.

“This partnership with China Travel Online allows us to bring leading Chinese industry players together with tourism suppliers from across Africa, paving the way for future growth. As this vital tourism source market picks up again post-COVID, connecting Chinese stakeholders with Africa’s diverse offering through partnerships like this will help accelerate recovery on both sides,” says Megan De Jager, Portfolio Director for WTM Africa. 

De Jager adds that the Chinese outbound travel market presents an enormous opportunity for the continent, especially in light of the fact that South Africa has been one of the first three nations on the continent to roll out the welcome mat to Chinese visitors in the post-Covid era.

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), at the end of 2023, international scheduled flights from China to the rest of the world reached over 60 pc of 2019 pre-pandemic levels. This presents an excellent opportunity for South Africa to bring Chinese visitors to its shores.

“We are excited about this partnership and the possibilities it unlocks for tourism growth between China and Africa,” comments Marcus Lee, CEO of China Travel Online.