FIFA World Cup: South Africa

Thanks to the World Cup, international arrivals recovered quickly in 2010, especially from neighbouring countries. In particular, the World Cup sparked a boom in Chinese tourists, which grew 90% in 2010 after two years of 15% declines. New visa application centres in Beijing and Shanghai along with a direct flight between Johannesburg and Beijing are likely to increase Chinese arrivals by 88% from 2012 to 2017. Plus, China is South Africa’s largest trading partner, boosting business travel.