More Chinese travelers visit Namibia amid enhanced bilateral tourism cooperation

Namibia's spectacular wildlife, vast desert landscapes and rich cultural heritage are attracting growing numbers of Chinese travelers, as the African country has kept strengthening bilateral tourism cooperation with China.

According to the latest Tourist Statistical Report released on June 25, China ranked eighth among Namibia's overseas tourism source markets, with 9,657 tourists, accounting for 0.8 percent of the total tourist arrivals.

For the first time, China secured a spot among Namibia's top 10 overseas source markets for tourists in 2015.

Tour operators said Namibia's stunning and untouched landscapes are one of the most important factors that drive the tourism boom.

"We mainly market the Chinese market and why the Chinese come to Namibia? Because we have the most attractive, the Namib Desert, and we have the Etosha National Park and we also have the very beautiful Sandwich Harbor [where] the dunes meet the sea," said Lizzy Lee, a local tour operator.

Many Chinese visitors say they are drawn to Namibia's unique cultural environment and a wide variety of wildlife.

"I chose to travel to Namibia because of the rich cultural environment and to see the only red clay tribe in the world, which is fascinating, including the many species of wild life here, the elephants, giraffes and Feifei (baboon in English), animals that I like very much," said Sun Qiang, a tourist from China.

Namibian officials said they are expecting to strengthen tourism cooperation with China to attract more travelers from the country.

Speaking at a stakeholder engagement meeting held in Windhoek on June 26, Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) Chief Executive Officer Sebulon Chicalu emphasized China's role as "the world's most dynamic outbound tourism market".

He said the Chinese market holds strategic importance in "supporting sustainable tourism growth, investment and cultural exchange".

He also said the NTB will strive to "position Namibia as Africa's most authentic and unforgettable destination for Chinese travelers."

More Chinese travelers visit Namibia amid enhanced bilateral tourism cooperation

The Lijian-1 carrier rocket completed the rehearsal on Tuesday for its first sea-based launch mission, which is now in countdown, according to the CAS Space, developer of the rocket series.

The Lijian-1, a medium-sized solid-fuel commercial carrier rocket designed for the rapid deployment and networking of micro and small satellites in low-to-medium orbits, will send three satellites into space in the upcoming mission in waters near south China's Guangdong Province.

The comprehensive rehearsal featured a dozen tests.

"Launching a rocket offshore is like performing surgery on a bumpy carriage, as both safety and accuracy of the launch might be compromised, while salt spray corrosion could damage the rocket's delicate electronic components. So, it's essential to develop a customized solution with strong environmental adaptability for the offshore launch," said Dou Xu'an, deputy chief designer of the Lijian-1 rocket.

Meanwhile, the Lijian-2 Y2, another member of the Lijian series, has finished final assembly.

The new rocket, designed with a greater payload capacity than the Lijian-1 for the construction of low-orbit constellations, is scheduled to send 18 satellites into space in a single mission this October.

"The Lijian-2 Y2 carrier rocket has passed all factory reviews, with all performance indicators fully meeting flight requirements. The assembly and testing cycle for this rocket was shorter than that of Lijian-2 Y1, marking a steady step towards standardized mass production and launch of Lijian-2 rockets," said Li Qinfeng, deputy chief designer of the Lijian-2 rocket.

Lijian-1 completes rehearsal for first offshore launch