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. |
Double landmine blast kills one person and wounds at least 18 in Pakistan’s southwestA naturally elevating tripRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene vows to force a vote next week on ousting House Speaker Mike JohnsonEU announces 1 billion euros in aid for Lebanon amid a surge in irregular migrationDisgraced Spanish Football Federation boss Rubiales returns to SpainLawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external toolsIt would take until 2040 to repair all homes destroyed so far in Gaza, UN report saysOne Tech Tip: How to repair an electric toothbrushDisgraced Spanish Football Federation boss Rubiales returns to SpainAppeals court rejects climate change lawsuit by young Oregon activists against US government