COVID-19 is once again affecting the travel industry due to its new and fast-spreading Delta variant. Since today’s travelers must once more decide whether to postpone or cancel their trip, we need to figure out exactly how we’re going to handle postponements and cancelations. Do we just give travelers credits and move everyone over?

Most agents I speak with these days say they’re concerned that they won’t be getting any funding during this second pandemic wave. Funds received during the first wave proved to be very helpful, allowing many people working in the travel industry the buffer needed to temporarily get by.

The most important thing agents are concerned about right now is their future. They wonder what the travel industry outlook is so they can make plans. It’s unfortunate that there are still so many people who will call us to get information and then book their travels online. When people choose to book online, more often than not they’re at a loss when it comes to understanding all of the rules, regulations and even laws they must adhere to before, during and after their travels.

The importance of travel agents should never, ever be underestimated as they represent a one-stop-shop for one’s travel needs. Because the first wave had such an impact on the industry, the question now is – can the industry sustain a second wave? Or are travelers just fed up with adhering to all of the changing rules? I’m finding that some travelers choose not to care anymore and continue to travel because they’ve been locked up for the past year and a half.

I wonder – why does it matter if covid is here in the US or if it’s overseas? It doesn’t make a bit of difference, so we might as well travel and enjoy ourselves while doing so. I just tell my clients to protect themselves according to current CDC recommendations.

So, what can travel agents do to prepare themselves to handle this second wave?

Firstly, you need to be better prepared than you were the first time. You need to make sure you’ve been in contact with all of your clients that have credits or that are interested in traveling. You also need to be on top of all news and information about your clients’ home location and their traveling destination.

Secondly, you need to know what options are available when travelers need to cancel or change their traveling dates. This way when a client asks you to make changes you’re already prepared with the answers. Being proactive is one of the best things agents can do right now. Of course, you should try to save each booking by moving the dates over so you don’t have to lose your booking.

Thirdly, make sure you look into any loans or grants available. If the government happens to offer more loans, grants or funds, make sure you know where to look in case you’re in need of additional financial help.

Lastly, don’t get depressed when listening to the news. There are many sources out there to get the correct information. Your best bet is to visit the CDC website so you can learn true and correct pandemic information first-hand.

Source: Travel Pulse

A new study from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) shows that the South African economy is losing over R180 million every week it remains on the UK’s ‘red list’ for travel.

All UK travellers, regardless of their vaccine status, travelling to countries on the ‘red list’ are required to cover the expensive cost of a 10-day hotel quarantine upon returning to the UK, plus the fees for Covid-19 tests.

Based on 2019 UK visitor numbers and spending, the global tourism body’s research shows these restrictions could represent losses of over R790 million every month. This equates to more than R26 million every day.

“The impact the UK’s traffic light system imposes on ‘red list’ countries is not only damaging the Travel and Tourism sector, but also economies around the world,” said Virginia Messina, senior vice president of the WTTC.

“Our data shows that every day South Africa remains on the UK’s ‘red list’, the country faces losing millions of dollars, effectively delaying the global socio-economic recovery.”

Messina said that the pandemic has also cost hundreds of thousands of jobs in South Africa, pushing more people into poverty. This makes it crucial to restart safe international travel and reduce mobility restrictions, she said.

More than half of all adults have been fully vaccinated in the UK, which significantly reduces the risk of any citizens travelling abroad, the WTTC said.

While the vaccine rollout has picked up the pace, the figure is considerably lower in South Africa.

Therefore, it is critical for the South African government to continue ramping up the vaccination programme to restart international travel and enable economic recovery, Messina said.

The WTTC’s annual Economic Impact Report (EIR) report shows that in 2019, South Africa was among the most popular destinations for UK travellers, accounting for 7% of international visitor spending, representing R9.4 billion.

The EIR also reveals the effect COVID-19 had on South Africa’s economy, with the Travel and Tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy falling from 363 billion (6.9%) in 2019 to just R182 billion (3.7%) in 2020.

International visitor spending also plummeted by 66%, from more than R134 billion in 2019 to just R46 billion in 2020.

South African restrictions

While South Africa has mostly kept its borders open to international tourists since easing its first hard lockdown in mid-2020, other countries have not reciprocated. South Africans still face strict travel restrictions.

This also impacts travellers who are dissuaded from visiting South Africa because of their difficulties returning to their own countries.

A mapping tool developed by travel website Skyscanner shows that as of 19 August, South Africa has 84 ‘major restrictions’ from other countries in place. This is up from around 60 major restrictions before the third Covid wave hit.

These countries have suspended travel, may be closed to entry, or may only be possible if you are a citizen/meet strict entrance requirements.

By comparison, there are currently 27 moderate restrictions for South Africa, where travel is possible, but only if travellers meet certain entry requirements, including taking Covid-19 tests.

Source: Business Tech

Dubai: Saudi Arabia will use the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass to confirm pre-departure COVID-19 test results for departing and arriving passengers from September 30.

Eventually, this acceptance will be expanded to vaccine certification, said IATA in a statement.

Travel Pass is a personal secure digital wallet solution that helps travellers understand travel requirements and present their verified travel health credentials (vaccine or test certificates) to meet COVID-19 entry restrictions. More than 80 airlines have announced trials of the IATA Travel Pass and the app is accepted for entry by a number of governments including Singapore and Panama.

Travellers to and from Saudi Arabia will have the choice of using either the Travel Pass or Tawakkalna, the country’s national health app, owned and developed by Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). The country’s flagship carrier Saudia has been a trial partner in the development of the Travel Pass.

“Work is progressing with General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and Tawakkalna for IATA Travel Pass to be a vehicle for pre-arrival clearance for KSA,” said IATA.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s acceptance of IATA Travel Pass will demonstrate how digital solutions can effectively manage both COVID-19 vaccine and test certificates,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director-General.

Travellers to Saudi Arabia intending to use the digit platform should check with the airline they are travelling with for eligibility to use the Travel Pass.

“We are committed to drive the adoption of digital health certificates and restore international air travel,” said Abdulaziz Al Duailej, President of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA).

Source: Gulf News

Nairobians are the verge of experiencing flying taxis after the national carrier and Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer signed an agreement that would spearhead this innovation in the market.

The taxis are expected to cut travel time from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to the city centre to six minutes.

The Brazilian company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kenya Airways last week, through the national carrier’s newly established subsidiary Fahari Aviation, to establish Electric Vertical Aircraft (EVA) starting 2025.

Fahari is Kenya Airways wing that deals with drones and has already opened unmanned aerial vehicles school to train interested Kenyans.

EVAs carry a load of 250 kilograms at 400km per hour with a range of 250km. The aircraft is completely autonomous as it does not require any human pilot intervention as it flies under the control of automatic systems such as radar, lidar and 12 camera sensors.

But according to the company, EVA will begin as a manned aircraft (with one pilot).

EVA is ideally suited as an urban air mobility aircraft bringing all traditional aviation travellers closer to their final destination efficiently and comfortably.

The new partnership is also anchored on the need to introduce zero-emission electric planes in the transport sector in Kenya.

Andre Stein, CEO of Embraer’s Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Solutions unit, said the introduction of flying taxis would provide an alternative mode of transportation for passengers pressed for time.

This collaboration, he said, aims at developing operational models for the wide accessibility of Urban Air Mobility to support Fahari Aviation’s key markets.

In addition, the partnership will establish” a foundation of concepts and procedures to safely scale EVA throughout the country in the coming years”.

EVA will support Fahari Aviation, the Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) division of Kenya Airways that promotes safe and secure UAS usage in the region, in establishing its UAM network and collaborate on the required Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) procedures and UAM operating environment.

This partnership will also allow Fahari Aviation to support Eva’s aircraft and product development process which will help guide the integration of UAM with Kenya Airways’ overall operations.

“We are thrilled to partner with Kenya Airways to provide new forms of air mobility throughout the region for both people and goods. The creation of disruptive and widely accessible Urban Air Mobility solutions will help democratise mobility by making it more accessible, affordable and giving communities more options,” said Mr Stein.

He said the partnership will foster long-term mobility strategies throughout the country and region.

“With our aircraft and aerospace services backing and Kenya Airways’ innovative approach to air mobility, we are enthusiastic about opening this region to more sustainable and community-friendly air access for all,” he said.

Allan Kilavuka, Kenya Airways chief executive officer said Fahari Aviation is at the forefront of exploring advanced technologies, with a key focus in aviation, starting with drones.

“With this partnership, we look to develop innovative air mobility solutions for our clients in Kenya and throughout the region,” said Mr Kilavuka.

The partnership will deliver a robust strategy to provide Fahari Aviation’s passengers with a sustainable, accessible, and affordable transportation option.

Source: Business Daily

Embraer’s Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions signed a memorandum of understanding with Kenya Airways PLC, through its fully owned subsidiary Fahari Aviation. According to a news release from Embraer, the collaboration aims to develop operational models for the wide accessibility of urban air mobility (UAM). In addition, the partnership aims to establish concepts and procedures to safely scale electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Eve will support Fahari Aviation in establishing its UAM network and collaborate on the required urban air traffic management (UATM) procedures and UAM operating environment.

The partnership also will allow Fahari Aviation to support Eve’s aircraft and product development process, which will help guide the integration of UAM with Kenya Airways’ overall operations.

“We are thrilled to partner with Kenya Airways to provide new forms of air mobility throughout the region for both people and goods. The creation of disruptive and widely accessible urban air mobility solutions will help democratize mobility by making it more accessible, affordable and giving communities more options. This partnership will foster long-term mobility strategies throughout the country and region. With our aircraft and aerospace services backing and Kenya Airways’ innovative approach to air mobility, we are enthusiastic about opening this region to more sustainable and community-friendly air access for all,” said Andre Stein, president & CEO of Eve.

“Partnerships are vital in mapping out the future of our airline, something which the global crisis has reinforced. Innovation is a critical element of our long-term sustainability. Fahari Aviation is at the forefront of exploring advanced technologies, with a key focus in aviation, starting with drone technology. With this partnership, we look to develop innovative air mobility solutions for our clients in Kenya and throughout the region,” stated Allan Kilavuka, group managing director and CEO of Kenya Airways.

Source: Aviation Pros

South Africa’s main inbound tourism industry body is lobbying U.K. politicians to remove the country from its so-called coronavirus travel Red List, which it says is incompatible with scientific evidence and is wrecking relations between the nations.

The curbs were based on the discovery of the beta variant in the country even though the incidence of that mutation in South Africa is now minimal, Satsa, which represents 1,350 businesses, said in a presentation dated Aug. 10.

Covid-19 infections in both South Africa and the U.K. are dominated by the delta variant, which was first detected in India. The U.K. accounted for 17% of South Africa’s 2.6 million foreign tourists in 2019, making it the biggest source market.

The placing of South Africa on the Red List about eight months ago means that tourists from the U.K. have to quarantine for 10 days at their own expense in government-selected hotels when they return. Vaccinated travelers from Germany, the U.S., France and other key markets can go home from South Africa without quarantining.

‘Fortress Britain’

The restrictions run counter to the U.K.’s efforts to forge closer links with South Africa in the wake of its exit from the European Union.

“It’s incompatible with the U.K.’s rhetoric about investment in South Africa, trade with South Africa,” Christine Thompson, a government relations and public affairs consultant advising Satsa, said on a webinar. “There is huge degree of resentment. This whole approach is very incompatible with the aspirations of global Britain and is more like fortress Britain.”

The restrictions are jeopardizing an industry that employs 1.5 million people directly and indirectly, and contributes about $5.5 billion to the South African economy annually, Satsa said. They are also threatening the viability of key conservation areas such as national parks, it said.

“Our top priority is to protect public health,” the U.K. Department for Transport said in an emailed response to queries. “Decisions on our traffic-light system are kept under regular review and are informed by the latest risk assessment from the Joint Biosecurity Centre and wider public health factors.”

South Africa has averaged 10,169 Covid-19 infections a day over the last week. The seven-day average in the U.K.. which has a similar population size to South Africa, is about 28,000. Ninety percent of virus genomes sequenced in South Africa in the four weeks to July 24 were the delta variant, Satsa said in its presentation.

Source: BloombergQuint

The United Kingdom on Sunday removed several countries from her Covid-19 red list but again kept Kenya in the category of high-risk nations whose travellers are subjected to strict requirements.

It officially announced that it had taken India, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE off the list, added Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Romania and Norway to the green list and moved France to the amber list.

Georgia, Mexico, La Reunion and Mayotte were the latest inclusions in the red zone under which Kenya is classified.

In the UK, since May 7, countries are rated red, amber or green for the coronavirus. Different rules apply to each category.

Before travellers from red list countries go to the UK, they must take a Covid-19 test (except children aged 10 and under), book a quarantine hotel package, including two tests, and complete a passenger locator form. On arrival, they must quarantine in a managed hotel, even if they have been fully vaccinated.

India has registered up to 400,000 positive coronavirus cases in 24 hours and at least 35,000, and has seen coronavirus infections surge due to the Delta variant, far more than anything Kenya has experienced.

In fact, the Asian country’s state of Maharashtra had as of Monday registered 45 cases of the Delta-plus variant per official data from the Indian government.

The Delta-plus variant is a sub-lineage of the Delta variant.

The original Delta variant has several mutations on its spike protein that make it more transmissible, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which lists Delta as a “variant of concern”.

It also has the potential to reduce the effectiveness of some monoclonal antibody treatments and may partially evade the Covid-19 vaccine.

Red List

Speaking in a telephone interview, Foreign Affairs CAS Ababu Namwamba explained that the government will soon provide a way forward.

“We are having meetings from Monday to deliberate on this red list issue. We are very concerned, having been left out, but we shall update you on what we will do next once we are done,” Mr Namwamba assured the public.

In an official response to the Nation, the UK said its decision to place Kenya in the red category had not changed.

“Decisions to introduce or remove countries from the red list are in direct response to the latest scientific and medical data showing an increased risk to UK public health and community transmission,” the spokesperson explained.

“As with all our coronavirus measures, we keep the red list under constant review and our priority remains to protect the health of the UK public.”

In April this year Kenya protested the decision but the UK stood its ground and retained her on the list.

“The decision by the government of the United Kingdom to ‘Red List’ Kenya and to stop all travel from Kenya for those residents in Kenya, and those transiting through Kenya to the United Kingdom has been received with regret and disappointment,” an official response from the Foreign Affairs ministry said.

“This decision by the United Kingdom will have deep and far-reaching consequences on Kenya-United Kingdom trade, travel, tourism and security cooperation.”

The Kenyan government then announced new restrictions.

“In light of the foregoing and in response to the United Kingdom’s unilateral restrictions of travel from Kenya, the following measures will be enforced,” the government said.

The measures included a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all passengers originating from or transiting through UK airports and two PCR Covid-19 tests at their own cost.

Cargo flights between the two countries were exempted from the rules, as well as Kenyan nationals living in the UK or transiting through its airports into Kenya.

Diplomacy

The UK resolved to ‘calm the storm’ by dangling partnerships, sending vaccine donations, which landed in Nairobi last month, and promising to help Kenya fight the pandemic by collaborating in research and genomic sequencing at Kemri.

“Kenya has been allocated 817,000 Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines from the UK, with the first batch having arrived last week. The allocation is through bilateral donation and the other half through the Covax facility,” the British spokesperson told Nation.

“On Genomic sequencing, an agreement has been reached with Kemri-Wellcome for collaboration between the UK and Kenya to support genomic sequencing capacity building in-county.”

Source: AllAfrica

Nairobi — Kenya’s aviation sector is gradually arising from the damaging blow inflicted by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Capt. Gilbert Kibe, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) Director General, has reported the average daily aircraft movements at about 550 from 1,045 before COVID-19 outbreak.

The 550 reported daily average aircraft movement recorded comprise of 110 international aircraft and 440 domestic flights.

The traffic however reflects a significant improvement with Kenya and the global aviation sector having been affected at an exponential pace, with passenger traffic in July 2020 recording a decline of 94 per cent in comparison to the same period in 2019 due to the pandemic.

Aircraft traffic movements was lowest in July 2020, standing at 9,185, which decreased by 68 per cent below the levels of July 2019 (28,825).

“Macroeconomic data on recent estimates of demand shocks shows that traffic forecast will return to 2019 levels in 2024 at low growth rate of 3.6 per cent compared to 4.2 per cent before COVID-19,” said the KCAA Director General.

This is based on International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Global forecast.

KCAA added that “international lags are envisaged up to 2023 based on income reduction for leisure travel and countries restrictions to travel.”

However, on the local front, domestic traffic growth is expected to resume to normal in 2022 based on the level of vaccination in the country.

This estimate assumes that there will be no unforeseen challenges that may be posed by new variants of the coronavirus, such as new vicious strains of the Delta variant.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, KCAA instituted several measures to support the aviation sector absorb virus-triggered shocks.

For instance, the Authority offered exemptions and dispensations where full compliance with applicable aviation requirements were not possible, of course without compromising aviation safety and security.

Staring March 31, 2020, expiry periods for Air Operation Certificates (AOCs) were extended for a period of six months, and thereafter, extensions were given on a case-by-case basis until it became possible to resume on-site Inspections.

Similarly, Designate Check Pilots (DCPs) renewals, Flight Simulator Training Device (FSTD) renewals, and Various Regulatory Trainings and Checks recurrent approvals were extended for periods determined on a case-by-case basis.

This would be informed by the submitted Risk Analysis & Alternative means of compliance proposed by the Operator.

Another measure taken was to waive Fees and Charges for services rendered for the period of exemption/dispensation. According to Capt Kibe, since the resumption of Air Travel, Flight Operations department (FOPs) resumed scaled down on-site inspections and Oversight activities, which were undertaken on a case-by-case basis.

Physical interactions were limited and virtual means were encouraged. This has worked well to spur the industry that was in limbo.

Another notable achievement was the re-purposing of the Kenya Airways Boeing 787 (Dreamliner) cabin from carrying Passengers to carrying Cargo, that was supervised and approved by KCAA. This aircraft conversion was a “first” in the world.

Source: Capital FM

The US has issued a fresh travel advisory against Kenya in the wake of a surge in Covid-19 cases, dealing a blow to the recovering tourism sector.

The US has downgraded Kenya from level two to level three, which requires US citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to a destination and reconsider any planned travel.

The advisory comes less than a week after the UK, also retained Kenya on its travel ban list amid rising Covid-19 cases in the country.

The restrictions look set to hurt the vital tourism sector, which is in the middle of the high season period, given the two countries account for over 20 percent of travel to Kenya.

In the half-year to June, visitors to Kenya from the US and UK stood as 65,442 representing 21.4 percent of arrivals.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level Three Travel Health Notice for Kenya due to Covid-19, indicating a high level of Covid-19 in the country,” a statement posted on the US embassy website said.

The US travel restrictions come amid fears that the highly contagious Covid-19 Delta variant may spark the fourth wave of infections in Kenya.

Kenya had 213,756 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 4,211 deaths, with a positivity rate of 14.5 percent as of Tuesday.

Traditionally, the Kenyan high tourist season starts in mid-July and runs till March the following year and is characterised by more international arrivals mainly from the US, UK, Germany, Italy and France.

The US classification of Kenya as Covid-19 high-risk could force many US travellers to either cancel or postpone their trips indefinitely.

In June, the US CDC issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for Kenya due to Covid-19, indicating a moderate level of Covid-19 in the country.

In April, the US retained the highest travel advisory on Kenya following what was said was the steep rise in Covid-19 cases in the country, as advised by its CDC.

Source: Business Daily

London will bear the brunt of an £11bn drop in revenue from overseas tourists resulting from the government’s continued tough restrictions on travel to England, according to research.

The Centre for Economic & Business Research (CEBR) study said the capital would suffer a loss of almost £7bn compared with levels of spending in the six-month period leading up to the pandemic, unless there was a marked pick up in the rest of the year.

The consultancy firm said London was being doubly hit because it was by far the most popular destination for international visitors, but was not getting the benefits of UK citizens taking their holidays at home this year.

According to the CEBR study, rules for travellers arriving in the UK were complex and tough, even after the relaxation in quarantine requirements for vaccinated travellers announced on Wednesday.

“Compared to many neighbouring countries which have taken a much more relaxed approach, even the best-case scenario for international travel is still pretty onerous, meaning many potential visitors are still choosing to stay away,” it said.

Figures from Visit Britain, the national tourism agency, showed there was an 80% drop in spending by international visitors to England between the second half of 2019 and the same period of 2020.

Should the present restrictions remain in place throughout the rest of 2021, the CEBR said it expected £3.7bn in spending by international visitors – up on the 2020 value but still £10.7bn lower than pre-pandemic amount.

The report said London would account for almost two-thirds (£6.6bn) of the shortfall since it was unable to plug the gap with revenue from domestic tourism.

The CEBR said south-west England – a popular destination for UK holidaymakers – would cope best, with spending by all visitors at 83% of 2019 levels compared with just 38% in London.Source: The Guardian