Safari industry crippled by coronavirus fears Posted by Anita Froneman on 12 March 2020 A recent survey by SafariBookings showed that not only is travel to Europe affected by the coronavirus outbreak, but there’s also been a massive negative impact on Africa’s safari industry. The online booking site reached out to 361 safari tour operators across the continent, and the results are looking bleak. More than 85% of tour operators were experiencing a significant decline in bookings, reports TimesLive. ‘The impact is real and we feel it from all corners in the industry,’ said Ann Muthui from Blue Mountain Trekking Safaris in Kenya told the site. Just 14% of tour operators indicated that it was still ‘business as usual’. Tour operators are frustrated, especially those from countries that have no confirmed cases of the virus. ‘The fear for this disease is causing a direct negative impact on our business, yet we have not a single case in Uganda,’ one operator commented on the survey. ‘We understand clients have a fear to travel right now but it should not deter you from planning your trip for later this year or 2021,’ said Jenieen van den Heever from Ker & Downey Africa in South Africa. ‘If the coronavirus crisis endures or worsens, we will run a second survey at the beginning of April to investigate how the impact on the safari industry has evolved,’ says SafariBookings. Image: Pexels Related Posts Cape Town’s sustainability: Leading the way in environmental initiatives 1 June 2023 As National Environmental Month commences in South Africa, Cape Town stands proudly at the forefront... read more Kapama to host Safari Guide of the Year Awards 2023 1 June 2023 Kapama Private Game Reserve near Hoedspruit will host this year’s Safari Guide of the Year... read more Blood Lions relaunches for public viewing on YouTube 1 June 2023 Award-winning documentary feature film Blood Lions has been relaunched on YouTube for public viewing, creating... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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