Viral pandemic ushers’ ‘rebirth’ of tech tools as Kenyans seek convenience

The Covid-19 outbreak has disrupted lives of citizens and businesses with activities moving online in adherence to stringement measures imposes by the State to curb spread of the virus.

For many Kenyans, a typical day now revolves around reading news on Twitter, buying groceries from Jumia, setting up education portal for children out of schools and linking up with workmates on Zoom video chat.

As the physical world is being decimated, the digital world is thriving, breathing life to technologies initially regarded casually.

A look at the Kenyan trend on the Google app store shows the latest top downloads include a mix of productivity, e-commerce and entertainment with apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Zoom, Jumia, Viusasa, TikTok, houseparty, Instagram and Snapchat.

“Working from home has meant that my Skype account is no longer for catching up with friends, but a tool to get office work done,” said Ms Damaris Kimani who works as an administrative secretary for a Kenyan start-up.

She said meetings occasionally move to Zoom, Google Hangout or WebEx depending who is on the other end and for convenience purposes.

Google Hangout is a preferred video conferencing tool because it is free and its quality is reliable, she said.

Data from Google shows the daily usage of its enterprise video conferencing tool Hangouts Meet has soared following the coronavirus pandemic as workers look for ways of staying productive from home.

“Despite this growth the demand has been well within the bounds of our network’s ability,” said Google Cloud chief Thomas Kurian in a blog post after daily usage went up 25 times higher than it was in January.

In weeks after the coronavirus outbreak, Zoom has seen its stock skyrocket as investors bet that more people would use video conferencing tools.

Last week, the start-up said the number of customers paying $100,000 went up 86 percent to 641 for the quarter.

Socialising

As millions throng social media to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues, the platforms are reporting a strain on their systems.

Data from internet and entertainment services gives clear indication of a country pushed online in the recent past.

Churches are turning to social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to bring services to members from the comfort of their homes.

Calls and messaging services on Instagram and Facebook have spiked by over 50 percent in Kenya and many countries across the globe.

In the days of dial up modems, when smartphones didn’t exist, or if they did, were owned by just a few individuals, often one device in the home could be on the internet at a time.

Modems come in varied speed connectivity ranging from 2G to 4G and help create a Wi-Fi hotspot for users of personal computers.

While there are universal modems in stores that are compatible to any line, the most common ones in the local market are from Safaricom, Airtel and Orange.

Their usage and demand has gone up in the recent weeks as more Kenyans opt to work from home and access education material online for their children.

Internet

“I had to remind myself how to use the modem after months of neglecting it now that my employer directed that I work from home,” said Mr Greg Ochieng, a Nairobi resident.

A portable 4G MiFi from Safaricom, Airtel or Telkom retails at around Sh8,000 on Jumia while a modem goes for about Sh2,000.

As working from home becomes the new normal, smartphones are becoming the window to the world.

For those without modems, mobile hotspots and tethering are becoming the in-thing in order to stay online.

Mobile hotspots and tethering are ways one can use their data as wireless internet service. Basically one connects their computer, tablet or any other device to the phone’s internet.

As online activities increase there is a surge in internet usage. This is giving Internet Service Providers (ISP) the headache keeping users happy with fast speeds.

ISPs are throttling bandwidths and certain services to accommodate the demand.

But as the digital world thrives and getting the work done tops users priority list, cybercriminals are working overtime to make a kill.

Microsoft Chief Security adviser for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Cyril Voisin noted that cybercriminals are opportunistic and will use topical issues as click baits to steal money or information from users.

“We have been tracking the number of domains that have been created around the Covid-19 and half of them are malicious. So far 103,000 domains have been created by fraudsters out of the theme of the pandemic,” he said.

Aside from ransomware, other threats that cybercriminals are using include phishing through emails and messaging applications.

The CEO fraud has also been on the rise. It basically entails someone pretending to be the boss of an organisation. The cybercriminals send email through a personal account directing the finance manager to wire some cash and that they will explain later because it is urgently needed.

To be safe, Mr Voisin advises small and medium enterprises to protect data with cloud backups, using antimalware, firewalls and secure networks like https, VPN, Wi-Fi.

They can also use anti-phishing technologies such as file/attachment and link inspection as well as protecting their identity with multifactorial authentication.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/datahub/Viral-pandemic-ushers–rebirth–of-tech-tools/3815418-5525112-yt2silz/index.html

KQ to make one-off flight to London to bring Kenyans back home

Kenyans stranded in the United Kingdom and willing to pay to return home have a chance to do so as Kenya Airways plans a flight on Saturday.

The decision was reached following a discussion between the Kenyan government and the British High Commission.

KQ will operate a direct commercial flight from Nairobi to Heathrow, London on April 24 before planning for a direct flight to Kenya on the following day.

Only those going to London will board the flight on Friday while those to be on board to JKIA must be Kenyan citizens.

On its way to the UK, the flight will be carrying Britons who were stranded following the suspension of commercial flights on March 25 after the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The KQ management said those who have booked the flight to return home should adhere to the measures set by the Ministry of Health for passenger arrivals.

The national carrier said that all the passengers will be subjected to Covid-19 test. Once the ticket is issued, they will be required to proceed to Lancet Kenya for the virus test within 72 hours.

Upon arrival, all the passengers must undergo a mandatory quarantine for a period of 14 – 28 days at their own cost.

The British High Commission said there will be a connecting flight from Mombasa to Nairobi which will be operated by Jambo Jet on April 24 for those travelling to London.

Kenya’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Manoah Esipisu had earlier said that those willing to travel back will meet the cost for their air ticket.

Since the outbreak of the virus, Kenyans and other African citizens stranded in China have said that they are being abused.

According to the videos shared through social media by Africans in China, some have been kicked out of their rental houses and denied access to shopping malls.

Several leaders in the country have been calling upon the government to make arrangements to evacuate Kenyans from China but this is yet to happen.

Earlier, Foreign Affairs PS Macharia Kamau told a parliamentary committee of the logistical challenges that will make it impossible for mass evacuation as is being proposed by some Kenyans.

He said a number of Kenyans living in China have not registered with the Kenyan embassy, which makes tracking impossible.

Source: https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2020-04-21-kq-to-make-one-off-flight-to-london-to-bring-kenyans-back-home/

 

IATA support aviation workers through free courses

Some 5, 000 aviation workers will be the beneficiaries of free online training courses that will be offered by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This is part of IATA’s effort to support the travel industry as it grapples with the COVID- 19 pandemic.

“Aviation will make it through the COVID-19 crisis. That’s because, as with past crises, the many great people of this industry will pull together to face the challenges head-on. In a salute to the women and men of this industry, IATA is making a small contribution to support the sector’s recovery with free training. These are tough times but we wanted to see the opportunity of the future, and what better way than through learning,” said Stéphanie Siouffi, IATA’s Director of Training.

The courses will be available on a first come, first served bases for the 5, 000 online training opportunities. The courses are available to current employees and those wishing to be a part of the aviation or related industries. Interested participants have a choice of the following courses;

  • Aviation Competition Law
  • Destination Geography
  • Travel Agency Fees: A Professional Approach
  • Accounting and Financial Management for Travel Agencies
  • Geography in Travel Planning
  • Distribution and Airline Retailing
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Aviation Law – Fundamentals

Applications must be received before 27 April 2020. To learn more or register for an online course, please click https://www.iata.org/en/training/pages/free-elearning-promo/

Hahn Air appoints leaders for its new commercial and operation divisions

After regrouping its departments supporting partner airlines, travel agencies and the global distribution systems (GDS) into the new commercial and operation divisions, Hahn Air has appointed leaders to head the new communications and marketing as well as IT support divisions.

The airline appointed Mr. Alexander Proschka and Frederick Nowotny to support the new set up that allows the company to further increase business results for its more than 350 partner airlines and over 100,000 travel agency partners while taking advantage of synergies for internal and external support.

“The restructuring process already started in 2019 and will enable us to maximise results for all customer groups and further increase efficiency and optimise team work internally. This will especially be of advantage after the Coronavirus crisis when our partner airlines and travel agencies will have a strong need to kick-start their business,” said Ms. Kirsten Rehmann, General Director of Hahn Air.

Mr. Proschka will head the newly formed commercial division as the Executive Vice President, Commercial. His division comprises of airline business, communications and marketing, sales analytics and travel agency distribution departments.

Proschka has been with Hahn Air since 2008 and was previously in charge of the sister companies Hahn Air Systems and Hahn Air Technologies with their products H1-Air and X1-Air. He holds a diploma in international business and industrial engineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Wiesbaden.

His counterpart Mr Nowotny is another long-standing Hahn Air executive. He is now the Head of Operation and will lead the division. Nowotny joined Hahn Air in 2008 and previously headed the sales engineering department.

His division now includes the teams in charge of all airline and product implementation processes, GDS interfaces and inventory displays. In addition, he oversees the IT and second level support departments, as well as the Hahn Air Service Desk which assists partner airlines and answers ticketing enquiries of travel agents worldwide 24/7.

Kenya Tourism Board calls for industry partners in parks and conservancies to participate in the #TheMagicAwaits Campaign

The Kenya Tourism Board has called upon facilities and establishments within the various parks and conservancies to showcase the various aspects of life at the parks through short videos under the campaign #TheMagicAwaits.

The parks that include Tsavo, Laikipia, Meru, Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru National Parks are expected to send content which will be showcased on KTB’s Magical Kenya’s social media pages.

This is geared towards sharing positive images and encouraging hope as the industry looks forward to post COVID 19.

The pandemic that originated from Wuhan, China in November 2019 has infected over 2.2 million people and claimed over 148, 000 lives, a number that keeps rising.

To stem the spread of the virus, social distancing and high standards of hygiene have been encouraged. Air transport has been stopped and travel within regions restricted in Kenya.

This has greatly affected the revenue stream for people in the travel and tourism industry with some companies shutting down and others slowing down operations. Parks and conservancies however remain operational.

The Kenya Tourism Board has been at the forefront t running campaigns showing the preparations the industry has made to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Over half of 2020 Passenger Revenues at risk due to COVID-19, says IATA

Airline passenger revenues will drop by USD 314 Billion in 2020, a 55 percent decline as compared to 2019, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said.

According to an analysis released on March 24, this year, IATA estimated a loss of USD 252 Billion in lost revenues if severe restrictions were to persist for three months.

“The updated figures reflect a significant deepening of the crisis since then, and reflect the following parameters:     Severe domestic restrictions lasting three months, some restrictions on international travel extending beyond the initial three months and worldwide severe impact, including Africa and Latin America (which had a small presence of the disease and were expected to be less impacted in the March analysis),” IATA stated.

The report further indicated that the full year passenger demand for domestic and international travel is expected to decline by 48 percent as compared to 2019.

The elements driving this decline are the overall economic developments whereby the world is heading for recession. This is because the economic shock of the COVID-19 crisis that is expected to be most severe in Quarter 2 when GDP is expected to shrink by 6 percent.

Another element is travel restrictions which will deepen the impact of recession on demand for travel with the most severe impact expected to be in Quarter 2.

“The industry’s outlook grows darker by the day. The scale of the crisis makes a sharp V-shaped recovery unlikely. Realistically, it will be a U-shaped recovery with domestic travel coming back faster than the international market. We could see more than half of passenger revenues disappear. That would be a USD 314 billion hit. Several governments have stepped up with new or expanded financial relief measures but the situation remains critical. Airlines could burn through $61 billion of cash reserves in the second quarter alone. That puts at risk 25 million jobs dependent on aviation. And without urgent relief, many airlines will not survive to lead the economic recovery,” Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO said.

He emphasised on the need for governments to include aviation in their stabilisation packages. Airlines, Mr. de Juniac said, are the core of a value chain that supports 65.5 million jobs globally. Each of the 2.7 million airline jobs supports 24 more jobs in the economy.

“Financial relief for airlines today should be a critical policy measure for governments. Supporting airlines will keep vital supply chains working through the crisis. Every airline job saved will keep 24 more people employed.  And it will give airlines a fighting chance of being viable businesses that are ready to lead the recovery by connecting economies when the pandemic is contained. If airlines are not ready, the economic pain of COVID-19 will be unnecessarily prolonged,” said de Juniac.

Among the reliefs that IATA has proposed for governments to consider include direct financial support to passenger and cargo carriers to compensate for the reduced revenues and liquidity attributable to travel restrictions imposed as a result of COVID-19, loans, loan guarantees and support for the corporate bond market by governments and tax relief.

 

Covid-19: the paradigm shift for tourism for the better

Tourism in Kenya and Africa must have a paradigm shift not only in products, but mentality and markets as well.

By Hon. Najib Balala

The year begun on a positive note for Kenya’s tourism with the country receiving 1,444,670 arrivals between July 2019 and February 2020; compared to 1,423,548 over the same period last year.

What followed is the greatest health emergency of our times: The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) – an emergency that has almost brought the entire world to a standstill, with sectors that contribute to the thriving of economies being affected, tourism being one of the industries hit hard globally.

The disease which first broke out in Wuhan, China in November of 2019, has now found itself across the globe with over 1.3 million infections as of the last count. This has resulted in total lockdown in some countries and with this, the closure of businesses and travel.

Governments around the world have also put in place stringent travel and social restrictions to curb the spread of the disease. The Government of Kenya has in turn taken bold, but necessary steps to fight this scourge which include stopping of conferences and events, as well as halting international flights from coming to the country as among a raft of precautions against the spread of the disease.

Consequently, the tourism industry in Kenya is predicting losses in the Billions owing to the disruption that has been occasioned by COVID-19 globally. Currently, several hotels and hospitality establishments have temporarily closed as human traffic to the outlets has significantly reduced as a result

of the limited movement and restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the disease.

This said, it is not all gloom and doom for the travel industry. We first need to accept that recovery from this pandemic will take time and we must be patient as we recover from it.

Secondly, we need a paradigm shift on the mentality that we have if we want a quick recovery and better tourism. It is no longer about waiting for international visitors to come in for tourism to thrive. As a country, we must start appreciating the domestic market and offer them products that are right for them. Therefore, we need not be dependent on foreign tourism and start investing heavily on the domestic and regional market. Many of the international markets established initially with first their own domestic and regional markets, before looking further. For instance, most of the 82 million tourists that flock into Spain are domestic or from the neighboring countries in Europe.

Also, we need to start thinking about promoting intra-Africa tourism. Africa has a population of about 1.2 billion people, but only receive 62 million tourists, which is disappointing. As the African adage says, ‘if you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.’ Now is the time for Africa. African states must unite and form a federation to promote tourism within the continent. If we can just have 300-400 million people travelling within the continent, we can surely boost each other’s jobs and generate revenue without being dependent on international tourists. As a continent, let us have a strategy on connectivity within the continent, open sky policy will increase travelers, trade and investment, we should also think about infrastructure development within Africa from road network, maritime as well as railway network. Once we have done so, the region is going to open up and the improved infrastructure is going to upscale the economy.

Free movement of people is another key aspect we need to look into. We need to ensure that people can travel from one country to another without any hindrance of Visas and travel bureaucracy. In Europe, most of the

people can move around in about 27 countries with neither visas nor border posts. This is the way to go for Africa. This will take time to implement, but if we start now, in 5 years we will be resilient from any shocks whatsoever, even travel advisories imposed by the western countries.

Tourism is a leading foreign exchange earner, contributing to about 10% of Kenya’s GDP. But the impact of tourism goes beyond 20% as it cuts across other sectors, ranging from manufacturing, agriculture, financial services, education and many others. The more we focus on promoting travelling within the continent, the more we shall create jobs and develop our economies.

So, in Kenya, for the next 2 years, it is imperative for us to look into the opportunities in our domestic and regional markets. This can only be achieved when we rethink our marketing strategy, redesign our products and make the destinations affordable and interactive.

COVID-19, can be an opportunity to act now and expand further to create more jobs and be self-reliant. This time we should also take care of the communities around us and be sensitive to the environment.

Hon. Najib Balala is Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife

We stand with Kenyans

Our country is facing the biggest fight in post-independence existence: the lives of its citizens are on the line, its economy is threatened, its culture and way of life is imperiled.

The novel coronavirus threatens to kill us, damage our health, destroy our economy and the very fabric of our families. It will rain pain and suffering upon our unprotected heads in the coming days, weeks and months.

However, nothing shapes and brings out character than adversity and suffering. Great generals do not distinguish themselves in peacetime. The iron in their backbone shines through the smoke, mud and cacophony of the battlefield.

 

The battle for our lives today will not be won by a powerful, privileged few. Every man, woman and child in this country must become that great general. And our weapons are not necessarily guns and bullets; our weapons are social discipline, sacrifice and caring for the welfare and safety of those around you.

Because we are relatively poor, our governments wasteful and our systems weak, “experts” have been predicting deaths on this continent in the millions. However, there must be reasons why we have survived on this continent for tens of thousands of years and outlived many other species.

To survive we must adapt as we have over the years.

The coronavirus pandemic that has so far infected 179 people in Kenya is changing the way we live, love, and express that love. Our expressions of greetings and farewell no longer make sense in this new world order. The handshake, that universal symbol of camaraderie and mutual understanding, has suddenly become absurd; the hug ludicrous; and walking around without a mask unreasonable. We have to adapt or perish.

However, the changes that Covid-19 is imposing on us at the physical level pale in comparison to the challenges that this disease continues to present to us as a people, and to our government, every day. In his speech to the nation on Monday, President Uhuru Kenyatta noted that “never has our national interest been threatened to this extent before”.

Preparing Kenyans for a worst that is yet to come, the President looked back to how the events of the last one month have changed our routines. “Our families, our schools, our way of life, the way we worship, our economy, our businesses, our workers, every single Kenyan stands threatened by this invisible, relentless enemy that is Covid-19,” he said.

And that is the reason we all must stand up and be counted now. In this disease is an opportunity for us to change the outcomes for ourselves, our families, our communities and the nation at large. They say the greatest obstacle to being heroic is the doubt whether one may not be going to prove oneself a fool, that the truest heroism is to resist that doubt, and the profoundest wisdom to know when it ought to be resisted and when it is to be obeyed.

Yet, in the last few days we have seen varying degrees of obedience to guidelines on how to stop the spread of Covid-19; from instructions by the Ministry of Health to self-quarantine if one has a history of travel, to the announcement of a nightly curfew and incessant calls to wash our hands, keep social distance and wear masks. These simple guidelines are markers as to whether we are willing to gang up against this monster, or want to continue life as usual and allow it to decimate us.

Our greatest calling now is to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. Unlike other countries in the world facing the same challenges, we have the advantage of time to learn from the experiences of those who have walked this journey ahead of us. The safety guidelines issued by the government and the World Health Organisation are the products of expert research and observations on how the virus is spread, and, most importantly, how it is contained.

Just as we have triumphed over many other disasters, our spirit of togetherness, innovation and resilience is once again on display. In Mombasa, people are lining up to donate food to an emergency fund, in Kibera a young man named David Avido is making and distributing face masks free of charge, while in Kisumu a community organisation in Obunga slum is leading a massive sanitisation and sensitisation campaign. These, like many other people around the country who have hearkened to the call to fight Covid-19, are a breath of fresh air to what would otherwise be a very dreary existence. They have shown us that we all have a corner in this boxing ring, a chapter in this story of heroism and sacrifice.

As we strap our boots and fight this monster, we must be reminded of the shape and taste of this beloved country once we emerge on the other side. Like soldiers coming home from war, we are likely to be physically battered and emotionally drained. Our healthcare system, our economy, our education, our agriculture, our businesses and our human resource are already starting to feel the pinch, and, if projections are anything to go by, the worst is yet to come.

Poor and developing countries with fragile economies stand to face the biggest shock from this pandemic, and leaving anyone unprotected will only prolong the health crisis and harm economies more. And so, to paraphrase the WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ recent speech to the international community recently, all countries, companies and research institutions ought to find ways to support open data, open science and open collaboration so that all people can enjoy the benefits of science and research, now and in the future.

While business executives and political leaders will offer policy direction in the new Kenya, the millions of hardworking citizens out there in the streets, slums and villages, who are the untiring foot soldiers in this battle, will determine what trajectory we take. But history is on our side, and we believe that the same stoicism we have displayed before will be our saving grace.

In the middle of this sea of fortitude, however, are lessons that we must carry with a mixture of glee and shame. While it is heartening to see this reawakening of our national values and ethos, as pointed to us regularly by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, this pandemic has given us a peep into the yawning gaps in our health care system.

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For instance, it is shocking that a country of about 50 million people has about 500 critical care beds, and even more shocking that, eight years since devolution, there are counties with multimillion-shilling governors’ mansions and not a single intensive care unit bed. This, we hope, will force a reorganization of our expenditure priorities in the short term and give our dream of universal health coverage the impetus it needs to take off. Our leaders, we hope, have realised that the world is such a small place, and that a sneeze in faraway Wuhan, China, can make their favourite hospital bed in London unavailable.

As the global economy teeters on the verge of a massive recession, governments around the world are announcing billion-dollar bailout programmes for the most hard-hit sectors. Locally, Kenya Airways, whose planes now sit on the tarmac at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, grounded by the pandemic, has already asked the government to save it from imminent death.

The International Monetary Fund warned on Monday that the global economic impacts of this pandemic will be worse than the global financial crisis of 2008-09, and that the economic damage is mounting across all countries, hot on the heels of the sharp rise in new infections and containment measures put in place by governments. In the last two weeks of March, for instance, almost 10 million people in the US applied for unemployment benefits. Such a sharp and staggering increase has never been seen before, “not even at the peak of the global financial crisis in 2009”, warned the IMF.

It appears, then, that Kenya needs to start having a conversation around bailouts. While President Kenyatta has given tax breaks to individual and corporate citizens, these might not be enough in the long term. Economists are projecting massive job losses as businesses scale down or completely shut down in the year, which, in the middle of a virulent pandemic, sounds like adding insult to injury.

This, once again, is the time for us to be truly Kenyan, to live the spirit of our founding fathers by uniting against this pandemic, and to breathe hope where there appears none. Together we can do it.

Source: https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2020/04/we-stand-with-kenyans/

 

KWS reverses 300pc park entry fees increase after public uproar

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Tuesday withdrew a notice increasing park fees by up to 300 percent for Kenyans across the country from July following public uproar.

KWS said in a statement that the higher fees had been suspended. Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala earlier termed the Business Daily report of the park fees hike misleading.

The March 30 notice announcing the date when the new higher rates would take effect was linked to an October 18 notification from Mr Balala.

The higher fees drew protest from Kenyans on social media who argued that the timing was wrong, citing the effect of coronavirus-related travel restrictions on Kenya’s tourism sector.

“This is to inform the public that KWS in consultation with Ministry of Tourism has suspended the implementation of the new rates until further notice due to the prevailing circumstances occasioned by the coronavirus,” said KWS in a statement.

Kenya has confirmed 172 cases of the coronavirus pandemic that has hit the tourism sector with the borders closed and social distancing rules prompting hotel shutdowns.

The new rates were to see locals pay Sh1,500 to visit Lake Nakuru and Amboseli national parks during the peak period and Sh800 during the off-peak period, up from the current Sh500. This reflected a 300 percent rise.

The Peak is between July and March and low season between April and June. Entry fees for locals in the Nairobi National Park were to go up to Sh1,500 and Sh800 during peak and off peak seasons respectively, up from Sh300.

Meru Park, Aberdare, Mt Kenya, Tsavo charges were to jump from Sh350 to Sh1,000 during the peak season and Sh400 the rest of the time.

Foreigners were to pay $70 in Nairobi National Park up from $40 in peak season, with off-peak rates remaining unchanged at $40.

At Amboseli and Lake Nakuru peak entry fees for foreingers were to be cut to $70 from the current $80 while off-peak charges were to drop from $60 to $40.

Source: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/companies/KWS-reverses-park-entry-fees-increase/4003102-5517252-vtf3anz/index.html

Africa’s $12.4 Billion Safari Industry Devastated by the Coronavirus Pandemic

SafariBookings.com, an online marketplace for African safari tours, has conducted a second survey which involved 443 safari tour operators to ascertain the impact that the coronavirus is having on the safari industry. It revealed that almost all tour operators are experiencing a decline of 75% or more in bookings. This is a significant increase compared to our first survey that was conducted in the beginning of March. As one operator told us, “things are very bad at the moment as the whole world is on lock-down and people are scared to book anything until the fear subsides and this virus is brought under control.”

More than 90% of operators said they had lost at least 75% of bookings they normally rely upon at this time of year. It’s a devastating blow for local staff, “COVID-19 has really destroyed our business – it came so suddenly, without any warning. We have staff who entirely depend on this industry for their survival.”

More than two thirds of operators surveyed said that cancellations on existing bookings were up at least 75% while less than 1% said it was business as usual. One Kenyan operator noted, “we are receiving about 90% cancellations due to COVID-19, and no new booking requests at the moment. We have hit rock bottom.”  

For the full survey report, including 187 quotes from individual operators, please visit: www.safaribookings.com/blog/coronavirus–outbreak

For more information: https://www.safaribookings.com/