The first batch of South African tourism staff to be trained in Mandarin are expected to arrive in China.

The 20 trainees were chosen from establishments that receive a huge number of Chinese tourists visiting South Africa. The candidates will go through training modules for reading, writing and speaking. They will also undergo situational role-playing training.

Like Us on Facebook

The three-week training tour is expected to enable them to communicate in Mandarin, a language that is used by most people in China and other countries.

"The language training will enhance the experience of our Mandarin-speaking visitors and make their stay even more memorable," said South Africa tourism Minister Derek Hanekom while presenting certificates on Tuesday to the trainees before they left for China.

"The frontline people will help Mandarin speakers with making travel arrangements, accommodation bookings and deciding which sites to visit," the minister added.

He added that the tourist guides will be in a position to tell interesting stories behind South Africa's tourist sites better.

According to the minister, the ability to communicate in the language of the visitors reduces tourists' anxiety when they arrive. In turn, the tourist will reciprocate by spreading word about South Africa's tourist attractions.

"This initiative shows how the public and private sectors can work together to help the tourism industry grow," the minister opined.

South Africa has seen an impressive increase in Chinese tourists this year. There has been a 64 percent increase in Chinese tourists from January to August.

China is the world's biggest source of outbound tourism. Over 100 million Chinese people visited other countries last year.

Tagschina, Mandarin, South Africa