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| Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 16, 2001 |
Chinese Tourists Begin to Favor Cape of Good Hope |
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"We welcome more Chinese friends to our country where modern civilization and ancient traditions combine.
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"We welcome more Chinese friends to our country where modern civilization and ancient traditions combine.
"And we hope that the Cape of Good Hope brings you good luck," said Sarel Opperman, Asian general manager of South African Tourism at a promotion conference here Friday.
He said that Chinese people can easily find a familiar culture in his country. Chinese people and their families who emigrated to South Africa centuries ago have become an important part of Africa. In recent years, an increasing number of Chinese enterprises have come to South Africa to set up business.
"I believe that Chinese people can feel at home here while at the same time enjoying South Africa's exotic scenery," Opperman said.
"The number of Chinese students who study in South Africa is also on the rise, he added.
"China has a huge potential market. We hope to gain the Approved Destination Status (ADS) from the Chinese government, in order to promote more frequent visits between our two nations," said Opperman, who has just finished his visit to Shanghai, Kunming and Chengdu.
Since diplomatic relations between China and South Africa were established in 1998, remarkable progress has been achieved in tourism and cultural cooperation. The Cape of Good Hope and Robin Island which symbolizes freedom and equality have become a favorable destination for Chinese people.
According to statistics, in the first ten months of 2001, 15, 000 Chinese people traveled to South Africa either for business or as tourists. The figure is some 30 percent above the corresponding period of last year.
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