Summit expected to boost S. Africa's tourism sector

JOHANNESBURG — The Tourism Business Council of South Africa expects the BRICS Summit to boost tourism in the country.

Speaking to Xinhua News Agency before the 15th BRICS Summit, which got underway in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, the council's CEO, said that it is expecting the summit to bring more tourists to the African nation.

"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 runs through Thursday.

According to Tshivhengwa, around 93,000 Chinese visitors visited South Africa in 2019. The pandemic interrupted the flow of tourists, despite South Africa's efforts to draw visitors from China.

In the first quarter of 2023, foreign direct spending skyrocketed to 25.3 billion rand ($ 1.3 billion), 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.