The exotic allure of Africa is exemplified by this lighthouse in Morocco, in a photograph taken   on July 18. [Photo/VCG] 

Rwanda, Namibia and Morocco became the top three tourist destinations in Africa for Nantong residents this summer, according to a report in the Nantong Daily.

According to statistics from domestic online travel giant Ctrip, the booking volume of air tickets to those hot spots increased more than 140 percent year-on-year during the summer vacation.

As the heat wave swept China from south to north from late July, more people took off to beat the heat by escaping to the Southern Hemisphere.

In addition to the favorable weather, the relaxation of visa policies for Chinese tourists and direct flights also stimulated people’s enthusiasm.

Among the top 10 tourist destinations in Africa, Morocco, Mauritius, the Seychelles and Tunisia have introduced a visa-free policy for Chinese tourists, while Ethiopia and Rwanda are offering a visa-on-arrival policy, according to a travel agency in Nantong.

The average ticket price for a round trip to the countries was trimmed 8 percent year-on-year this summer to about 3,000 yuan ($424.8) in economy class.

The statistics also indicated that those who were born in the 1970s and the 1990s showed more interest in traveling to Africa than others. The group accounted for 60 percent of the total Chinese tourists.