Asia is home to some of the fastest growing outbound travel markets in the world – so what can Southern Africa do to make it more attractive as a tourism destination? Sue van Winsen speaks to stakeholders in the Asian travel trade to find out.

South Africa’s inbound arrivals out of the key Asian source markets have been in a state of steady decline over the course of the past year – with concerns around and security and confusion over entry requirements forcing many potential travellers to consider competitor destinations.

According to Judy Lain, Chief Marketing Officer of Wesgro, 2014 was a very disappointing year in terms of Asian arrivals into the Western Cape, with China showing a 31,2% decline when compared with 2013, and South Korea a decrease of 26,5%. However, the trade believe that, with Asia’s key role in driving world economic growth, huge opportunities still remain. “The purchasing power of Asians will continue to increase, opening up travel to more people,” says Lain. “There is also growth in the middle-income countries of South East Asia, which is also opening up opportunities for tourism businesses.”

Steven Jin, China Representative for a number of SA-based travel companies, including Rovos Rail, Tsogo Sun and Sabi Sabi, agrees and says while economic growth in China has slowed down to some degree, outbound travel continues to be extremely popular. “At family gatherings, travel is always one of the most popular topics of conversation and it is not usual for people to travel overseas three or four times a year.”

So what is it that Asian markets want – and how can Southern African tourism businesses tailor their offering to meet their needs?

For Japanese travellers, the most popular southern African destinations include South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique. SA Tourism’s Regional Manager for the Asia-Pacific region, Bradley Brouwer, adds that the average length of stay is between six to eight days. “From August to October is South Africa’s peak season for Japanese travellers to see the jacarandas in bloom in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Stellenbosch and Pilgrim’s Rest, while the Namaqualand daisies are very popular in late August.”

For Chinese travellers, the most popular destinations are South Africa, Kenya and Mauritius and the average length of stay is about 11 nights, however the most common length of stay is five nights. “Since the Chinese have relatively fewer public holidays and less annual leave, they tend to travel abroad in July and August during the Chinese schools’ summer vacation period, as well as in October during the National Day holiday and January or February over the Chinese New Year,” says Brouwer.

It is almost impossible to generalise when it comes to activity and accommodation preferences – as each of the Asian markets is not only unique in terms of its specific interests, but there is also a vast difference in terms of the various traveller segments. However, generally Asian markets tend to be interested in sightseeing in areas of scenic and natural beauty, as well as shopping, food and wine, and safaris.

Jin says the Chinese market can be separated into two main segments. “Firstly, there is the mainstream group travel, which we often refer to as ADS (Approved Destination Status) groups where a qualified Chinese outbound tour operator will work with qualified South African DMCs to organise group travel,” he explains. “ADS groups are extremely sensitive to price and while these groups will usually only stay in four- and five-star hotels, they will compare packages based on price. This makes the market highly competitive with a huge amount of pressure to keep the price low by simplifying the programme as much as possible.” ADS groups usually spend three nights in Cape Town, one or two nights in Johannesburg and a night at Sun City.

At the other end of the scale, Southern Africa also attracts high-end travellers from the Asian markets. Brouwer says one of the main target segments for SA Tourism is Japan’s active seniors, who tend to be well travelled, with disposable income and lots of spare time on their hands. However sensitivity in terms of cultural etiquette is essential when trying to attract this market. “South Africa is not perceived to be a friendly destination, yet once they have visited, Japanese travellers are our best ambassadors. If South African product takes the time to learn more about Japanese travellers, South Africa has the potential to be a big market,” says Brouwer. He adds that small gestures will go a long way, for example providing a welcome message in Japanese, or an Asian adaptor plug in hotel rooms.

Similarly, tourism providers should consider some of the cultural sensitivities of Chinese travellers. For example, says Jin, efficiency is extremely important. “In China, a group of 200 will only spend five to 10 minutes checking in because everything is done prior to their arrival and they will appreciate similar service in Southern Africa.” He adds that, when dealing with Chinese business groups, hotels should be careful not to place a junior executive in a room on a higher floor than a senior executive.

One of the biggest challenges in attracting Asian markets to Southern Africa is concerns around security. Jin says: “Every few weeks we see a negative report in the media about Chinese tourists being targeted in South Africa. While I understand this is not the full picture of SA tourism, government departments are not providing evidence that they are doing anything to stop these serious incidents.”

Confusion around SA’s complicated visa requirements is also causing Asian travellers to consider other destinations. “We are happy to hear that the Department of Home Affairs has decided to relook at the birth certificate requirements, but we hope that changes can be made immediately so that we can attract more Chinese visitors to the region,” adds Jin.