CHINESE VISITORS ANSWER AFRICA'S CALL OF THE WILD

With outbound tourism steadily recovering, travelers seek exotic locations

Tourism experts are optimistic about the growth of China's outbound travel to Africa, fueled by deepening cooperation and Chinese travelers' emerging passion for exotic destinations.

Travel industry statistics for the recently completed summer holiday period, from early July to late August, showed positive results. Qunar, a travel portal, said that flight bookings from China to Africa for the period increased 1.2-fold year-on-year, with the top destinations being Egypt, Tanzania, Kenya, Morocco and South Africa.

Qunar said the diversity of natural landscapes and the variety of cultural and natural attractions, such as the majestic pyramids in Egypt and the great migration of animals, are enticing more Chinese tourists. Additional flights and more friendly visa policies have also increased the continent's attractiveness for Chinese visitors, it said.