Coronavirus Wreaks Havoc with Africa’s Safari Travel Market

A new survey has revealed the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the African safari industry, Breaking Travel News reports.

Almost all tour operators are experiencing a decline of 75 percent or more in bookings, according to SafariBookings.com.

The website conducted a survey of 443 safari tour operators to ascertain the impact that the coronavirus is having on the sector.

The figure is a significant increase compared to a first survey that was conducted in the beginning of March.

Over 90 percent of operators said they had lost at least 75 percent of bookings they normally rely upon at this time of year.

More than two thirds of operators surveyed said that cancellations on existing bookings were up at least 75 percent while less than one per cent said it was business as usual.

The safari industry is worth US$12.4 billion annually to Africa, based on the 2018 international tourism figures  from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. 

The major safari countries included Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.