International air travel to Africa is rebounding

The return of Chinese tourists to Africa and a full resumption of operations on international routes by African airlines are the latest indicators of a rebounding tourism industry, badly hit by the covid-19 pandemic two years ago. China has picked three African countries—Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa—among 20 across the globe for piloting outbound group tours, nearly a month after lifting travel restrictions.According to a ministerial notice published on Jan. 20, Chinese travel companies will be allowed to provide travelers with airline and hotel packages to selected countries starting Feb. 6. “From now on, travel agencies and online travel companies can carry out preparations for product releases, publicity and promotion,” read the document. A week before this, the Egyptian capital welcomed the first tourists from China since the outbreak of covid-19, following a visit by China’s Foreign Minister, Qin Gang. United Nations World Travel Organisation’s latest World Tourism Barometer confirms the return of Chinese tourists will significantly boost Africa’s international arrival numbers and push them to 2019 levels. “The removal of covid-19 related travel restrictions in China, the world’s largest outbound market in 2019, is a significant and much-welcomed step to the recovery of the tourism sector in Asia and the Pacific and worldwide” according to the report. In a recent speech, China Tourism Academy President Dai Bin said destination Africa needed to optimize its promotion strategy and improve its hospitality system for the Chinese market to unlock its vast growth potential.<br/>