More affordable, more accessible.
CHINA is set to become
an increasingly popular
destination for South
Africans in 2016 as a
result of the introduction
of Air China’s direct service
between the two countries,
say travel professionals.
The fact that it is an
affordable destination at
a time when the rand is
severely weakened will
further boost travel between
the two countries, they
agree.
“Air China has launched
in South Africa with great
success and will definitely
boost both leisure and
corporate tourism. We will
undoubtedly see demand
grow in the next year,” says
Keith Gow, md of Gateway
Travel and Tours. He
predicts that the destination
will prove so popular that Air
China will soon increase its
frequency to seven flights a
week.
An increase in capacity
on a particular route
automatically increases
competition and has a
positive impact on pricing,
says Theresa Szejwallo,
md of Trafalgar. While Air
China is the only airline
offering direct flights,
there are numerous routes
through the Middle East on
offer, which are considered
competition. “Air China
has introduced greater
availability on the route to
China and its codeshare
with SAA is also beneficial
for travellers wanting to fly
into Beijing directly from
Johannesburg,” she says.
“No other carrier offers a
direct non-stop service with
the added convenience of
the codeshare agreement
with South African Airways.
This allows travellers to
book flights from any SAA
destination to Beijing and
beyond in China on one
ticket. In addition, frequent
flyer miles accrue on these
codeshare flights,” agrees
Noorjehan Vadachia, sales
and marketing director for
Avoca Travels.
The strengthening of
China-Africa ties has also
prompted a significant
increase in traffic for both
corporate and leisure travel
between the two countries,
says Abel Alemu, Ethiopian
Airlines’ regional manager
for Southern Africa.
“The fact that many
Chinese companies are
investing in Africa has led
to stronger economic and
social ties,” he adds.
How affordable is it?
Airfares will remain very
competitive for the time
being, comments Vernon
Buxton, marketing
consultant for Dragon
Holidays. He says Air China
commenced its service with
a special fare and this will
probably last until capacity
builds on the route.
However, Vernon says the
rand rate of exchange could
hinder a major boost in
leisure travel to China from
SA and adds that corporate
travel is likely to increase
faster than leisure travel.
Keith disagrees, saying
that China is a very
affordable destination even
for travellers from South
Africa, who are faced with
a crippling currency. He
points out that Gateway
Travel and Tours offers allinclusive
packages from
R23 000pp.
In China prices are also
very affordable, Keith says,
with the clothing markets
a particular hit with South
Africans, as they offer
high-quality clothes at very
cheap prices.
“If you compare the rand
exchange rate against
local Chinese currency, the
renminbi/yuan, with the
euro or US dollar, China is
definitely one of the more
affordable destinations
to visit,” agrees Mary
Reynolds, spokesperson for
Wendy Wu Tours.
Book it!
Wendy Wu Tours has launched new Discovery Tours. Designed with the more inquisitive traveller in
mind, Discovery Tours feature authentic cultural and active experiences, bringing travellers closer to
China’s extraordinary sights, its people, and their way of life. Examples include hiking on the Great Wall;
calligraphy on Mt Qingcheng; cycling in Yangshuo and Dali; or walking along the Rice Terraces.
Group tours are the
way to go
CHINA still
presents
significant
challenges
for Western
travellers. The
most considerable
barrier is, without
a doubt the
language, which
is why most
tour operators
advise group
tours instead of
individual travel,
especially for firsttime
travellers. Group package
tours provide the easiest
and cheapest way to see the
country’s major sights.
It is important to have
a ground operator that
is reputable and has the
necessary infrastructure to
take care of your clients, says
Wendy Wu’s Mary Reynolds.
“China is not the same as the
south-east Asian destinations
that are easily accessible,
easy to get around and where
communication with the locals
is easy.
“With the considerable
communication and cultural
barriers it is therefore best
to travel on an escorted tour
instead of independently.
China has vast cultural and
natural attractions to be
explored and the country is
huge, a factor that makes an
escorted tour the best option,”
Mary adds.
“Challenges such as the
language barrier and navigating
the highways and roads are
both negated when travelling
on a group tour,” agrees
Trafalgar’s Theresa Szejwallo.
She says most travel
directors on group tours speak
Mandarin and English. “As
local experts they are also
perfectly positioned to tell the
story of China with
all the beautiful
nuances that are
so particular to
the country.”
Group tours
also tend to offer
a cost-effective
way to see the
country, comments
Dragon Holidays’
Vernon Buxton.
He adds, however,
that it’s important
for travel agents
to make sure that
groups are kept small and
intimate.
Smaller groups allow for
tailor-made itineraries where
travellers can experience the
best of China at their own
pace while making the most of
their time and budget, agrees
Avoca Travels’ Noorjehan
Vadachia.
She says mass-produced,
fixed-departure tours have
certain advantages, allowing
travellers to see places of
which they wouldn’t normally
be aware. “You hear about the
sights from the point of view
of a local perspective and it
saves you the hassle of having
to negotiate prices.”
However, Noorjehan
warns there are also some
downsides to fixed-departure
tours. “They waste your time
at over-priced souvenir shops.
There is a set itinerary and
most of the time, it starts
later than it’s supposed to.
The danger in having to fall
in with everyone else means
that there’s a chance travellers
won’t be able to see and
do everything. Some of your
clients will have to adapt to
strangers with likes that may
differ from theirs. Organised
tours are also less rewarding
than solo travel.”
Bring along the family!
WHILE China may not be
top of mind when a client
approaches you for a familyfriendly
destination, the
country is definitely worth
a mention for adventureseeking
families.
“The Middle Kingdom is
full of places that would suit
families with children of all
ages,” says Avoca Travels’
Noorjehan Vadachia.
Many visitors
underestimate how generally
safe and easy it is to travel
with a family in China, she
says. “Most destinations
are linked by direct flights,
and trains and buses have
reliable schedules, so getting
from A to B with kids in tow
might not be as stressful as
you think.”
There are also a great
number of amazing activities
for children, says Noorjehan.
These include the Great
Wall ski lift, toboggan rides,
acrobatic shows in Shanghai
and Beijing and attractions
such as scorpions on a
skewer in Beijing, Giant
Panda cuddle in Chengdu,
and the Princess makeover
in Suzhou shows in Shanghai
and Beijing. Alternatively,
travellers can ride bikes
through rice paddies, explore
caves, go rock climbing or
float down river on a bamboo
raft in Yangshuo. Kung Fu
classes that are kid-friendly
or those with a Shaolin
Master, and kite flying in
Shanghai are among other
activities on offer.
Wendy Wu Tours offers a
10-day ‘In Pursuit of Pandas’
tour, says Mary Reynolds.
She says families can also
embark on activities such
as rickshaw rides through
the Hutongs (narrow streets)
in Beijing, learning about
the Terracotta Warriors in
Xi’an or learning the art of
Chinese calligraphy. Other
options include cycling along
the ancient City Wall in Xi’an,
visiting the Giant Pandas
in Chengdu, or meeting
favourite Disney characters
at Hong Kong Disneyland
and Shanghai Disney Resort,
which opens on June 16 in
the Pudong District.
Repeat travellers may
venture further afield to see
Suzhou, the city of lakes,
cruise the mighty Yangtze
River, take the Bullet Train
to Lhasa or gaze in awe
at the natural beauty of
Guilin while sailing the Li
River. They can also visit
the charming West Lake in
Hangzhou or step back in
time in ancient Lijiang or, if
they’re bold enough, walk the
glass bridge amidst soaring
karst peaks in the majestic
Zhangjiajie National Forest
Park.
China is just so huge and
has so much to offer that
one visit is not enough to
see it all, says Noorjehan.
Book it!
Avoca Travels works closely with Air China to offer a selection of
affordable tours. These include an eight-day Beijing itinerary from
R10 897pps; eight days in Beijing and Shanghai from R16 997pps;
ten days in Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai from R20 597pps, eight days
in Beijing and Phuket from 16 097pps and six days in Beijing and
Mumbai from R16 897pps. The tour prices include return flights from
Johannesburg, airport taxes, all transfers, the Bullet Train trip between
Beijing and Xi’an (where applicable), selected tourist-class hotel
accommodation, breakfast daily, and full-day sightseeing tours with
lunch and dinner where applicable.
Did you know?
Ethiopian Airlines currently operates 21 weekly flights to three of
the major cities in mainland China, with daily flights to Beijing,
Guangzhou and Shanghai. It also operates six weekly flights to
Hong Kong. All services are operated by Boeing 777 aircraft.
Must-see attractions
CHINA is a destination on
every traveller’s bucket list,
agree both tour operators and
travel agents. However, most
tour operators say China is a
once-in-a-lifetime destination,
with very few repeat travellers.
“Most visitors stick to the
popular sights and there
are no new attractions to
persuade travellers to veer
off the beaten track,” says
Dragon Holidays’ Vernon
Buxton. As a result of this,
most South African tour
operators focus on China’s
major destinations. “Few
venture away from the
Forbidden City, the Great
Wall, the Terracotta Warriors,
Yangtze and Li River cruising
and Shanghai,” says Vernon.
He says the Golden Triangle
of Beijing, Shanghai and Xi’an
is a good introduction to the
country for first-time visitors,
enabling them to see the
Great Wall, the Forbidden City,
Tiananmen Square and the
Temple of Heaven, followed
by the bustling, ultra-modern
hub of Shanghai, where they
can experience the Bund,
shopping on Nanjing Road
and the Yuyuan Garden before
moving on to Xi’an to view the
Terracotta Warriors, City Wall
Park and Wild Goose Pagoda.
Destinations such as
Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an and
Hong Kong that are well
known, will further grow in
popularity, agrees Avoca
Travels’ Noorjehan Vadachia.
She predicts that places
such as Chengdu, Chongqing,
Guilin, Yangshuo, Suzhou,
Lhasa, Lijiang, Hangzhou,
Zhangjiajie, Guangzhou and
Yiwu will also become popular
destinations with South
Africans.
Each city has its own unique
appeal, says Wendy Wu Tours’
Mary Reynolds. These include
vibrant Beijing, which is filled
with historic sites; Shanghai,
a glitzy, high-flying metropolis
with traditional streets
and ageless culture woven
between the skyscrapers; and
Sichuan, home to a relaxed
and friendly capital, Chengdu,
which features Giant Pandas
in their natural habitat and
is the gateway to the natural
wonders of the Huanglong
Pools and Mt Emei.
Lhasa is a city on the roof
of the world, where it’s easy
to leave modernity behind,
wander the Barkhor Circuit
and get lost in the magnificent
Potala Palace, says Mary.
Guangzhou, on the other
hand, is popular for business
and trade fairs, especially
in the manufacturing
industry. While Hong Kong is
sophisticated and lively and
full of colonial heritage and
Chinese character, Macau
mixes Mediterranean style
with Chinese traditions,
creating a unique and
fascinating experience. It is
the only place in China where
gambling is legal.
Best time to visit
AVOCA Travels’ Noorjehan
Vadachia, advises what
travellers can expect during
different times of the year.
Low season – November
to February
Domestic tourism is at
a low ebb but things
are busy and expensive
because of the Chinese
New Year. The weather is
very cold in the north and
at high altitude and only
warm in the far south.
Shoulder season –
February to April,
September to October
Expect warmer days in
spring and cooler days
in autumn. In the north,
autumn is the optimal
season, with fresh
weather and clear skies.
Accommodation prices
peak during holidays in
early October.
High season – May to
August
Be prepared for summer
downpours and crowds
at main attractions
and tourist hot spots.
Accommodation prices
peak during the first
week of the May holiday
period.
Ddid you know
Wendy Wu has updated its Classic Tours to show travellers authentic, local China. Travellers can visit a
local family, learn about modern dating at Matchmakers’ Corner, visit a local kindergarten and more, giving
them the opportunity to find out about daily life in this fascinating country.
