AN AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE
Covid 19 is here to stay, but the world has somewhat moved on. For safari holidays, many of the restrictions of the last 2.5 years have been lifted, but there are still some important requirements to consider. We provide up to date and detailed advice to all our clients, but it is essential that all travellers follow UK FCDO advice too, especially in the lead up to travel. A few countries require all visitors to be fully vaccinated, and able to prove this with a certificate. Many other countries require proof of vaccination in order to avoid the requirements for a negative PCR test certificate.
Whilst many airlines have dropped the requirement to wear masks throughout the flight, this may not apply to all airlines and some countries in Africa still enforce strict mask-wearing in airports and other public places. It makes sense to always travel with several masks, ideally the surgical kind.
Looking back over the past 30 months, we feel it is still important to highlight the challenges being faced by our African colleagues who operate in difficult conditions at the best of times. Speaking to many of them throughout Covid it was clear that their number one priority was looking after their staff, and through them the communities they live in. Conservation efforts are also integral to most safari operators and they were hugely impacted across Africa throughout Covid. Wildlife conservation is nearly always dependent on tourism income, often in the form of daily park or conservation fees, and without this source of revenue, it became almost impossible to maintain vital conservation and anti-poaching efforts.
We heard from many of our colleagues in Africa over the past couple of years, and the story and situation was always the same. Here are few examples, with information provided during the pandemic:
Remote Africa Safaris is a longstanding owner-run safari operation based in Zambia’s wildlife honeypot, the Luangwa Valley. Like everyone in the tourism industry, our operation and all the livelihoods connected to it have come under huge threat with the escalation of the Covid-19 pandemic and we, like many others, are looking at the daunting prospect of a zero income year for 2020.
Remote Africa Safaris comprises 5 bush camps and employs 100 people, almost all of which are local Zambians from a seasonally isolated community. Most of these employees are the breadwinners of their families and can have up to 10 dependants meaning nearly 1000 people are relying on our wages.
Part of every bednight that we host is contributed towards the wildlife conservation programmes in both the North and South Luangwa National Parks as well as our own community programme, the Tafika Fund. The Tafika Fund supports a number of educational and community upliftment initiatives including: 5 teacher salaries in two different schools in the Mwanya area, 1 clinical assistant salary for Mkasanga Health Clinic, fully inclusive scholarships for 12 pupils and 9 students who otherwise could not afford to further their education. Although schools are currently closed, we anticipate their return to studies in the next month or two. Our annual Football for Wildlife league will have to be cancelled which includes the participation of 16 teams and 8 villages. All participants and match officials in this league would receive match fees.
With the huge number of cancellations and postponements we have faced in the last month, just supporting our own staff for the coming season becomes a great concern let alone filling our commitments to conservation and the wider Mwanya community.
All things considered, we will do our best to keep our mokoro afloat. We remain ever positive and just hope everyone keeps safe and works together to tackle the difficult times we are facing as a global community. Whilst cancellations are sometimes unavoidable, we desperately hope that anyone whose upcoming holiday to our camps is affected will be able to postpone their visit rather than cancel. Operators are passing on deposits to us to help us get through this year, and by postponing we keep the much needed tourism income in the system, even if travel is delayed. It is vital for the entire African tourism industry that as few people as possible cancel their trips entirely.
For over 20 years, Turnstone Tours has been offering specialized guiding across unique ecosystems in Namibia’s coastal desert (from Swakopmund) and in the pristine highland bushveld of Mundulea. Taking our name from the determined little shorebird who forages beyond the obvious to notice what others might miss, we apply the same careful probing to our conservation work as we do to our guiding. For two decades our conservation efforts at Mundulea have focused on ground-breaking, lo-tech initiatives to support the regeneration of a balanced ecosystem across 120 square kilometres of recovering habitat for vitally biodiverse species. It is essential to maintain the momentum of this work, which is supported almost entirely by income from tourism. We are therefore very concerned about the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on Namibian tourism and appeal to all guests for whom travel may prove impossible over the next few months, to postpone rather than cancel their visits. Like the Turnstone whose persistence brings sustaining, and sustainable, rewards, your support goes very deep. So please hold true to your travel plans and join us in Namibia as soon as it’s safe to come!
Here at Karisia Walking Safaris everyone that we employ is from the local Laikipia Masai and Samburu Communities. Many of our staff come and go for each safari and we employ up to 50 extra people when we are busy. These families are all now waiting at home with no work. They have already started to ask us for advance pay and food for their families. The staff that we have here at Karisia are on basic pay only and we will have to lay off some of them soon. So we urge people to think about travelling again as soon as they can. This environment is open, airy and the perfect tonic for having been cooped up for so long. The tourism dollar goes a long way to protecting wildlife and helping the communities around here, who in turn protect the wildlife as part of their job.
It is important to remember that tourism is an integral part of conservation be it through the creation of jobs, a mere presence in remote areas, or the direct funding of conservation projects through bed night levies and other contributions. A total collapse of tourism across Africa is leaving gaping holes in conservation efforts and it will take extraordinary efforts to protect our wilderness areas. Organisations such as Musekese Conservation are funded by up to 70% through tourism-related activities and so companies such as Jeffery & McKeith Safaris in Kafue have an extended obligation to not only secure a future for its wonderful staff but to also keep anti-poaching and other interventions going uninterrupted.
Like everyone around the world, the Tanda Tula Family is facing a situation we could never have imagined under the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects on Africa’s wilderness areas and on our communities are potentially devastating, with the inability of our cash strapped governments to provide meaningful support to their people and businesses. We are nonetheless motivated now more than ever to be a crucial link in the chain of survival for our people and our wild animals.
The wildlife reserves desperately need the money which we, as safari operators in these areas, provide in order to fund their security, ecological, veterinary and operational costs. Moreover, our own family of staff members deserve our support and we are committed to not let them down through this crisis. We support 64 staff members (each supporting on average 10 people in the local communities), we fund 7 children on scholarships, and 2 university students – we do not wish to lose this direct impact on some 650 local community members.
In order for us to continue to provide the vital support to our local communities and to our wildlife reserves, where we operate, we need the support of our guests and trade partners. We would encourage anyone forced to be unable to travel at this time to give us the opportunity to offer a “no extra cost” postponement, so that we can keep the vital resources flowing to those who so desperately need them. Our policies on postponements are extremely flexible, and we do not require any decisions on alternative dates yet. Please consider the wildlife and the communities of Africa when making a decision on how to mitigate the obviously frustrating and disappointing travel restrictions we are all faced with during this time.
The Corona pandemic has caused much of the world to come to a grinding halt in order to deal with this global crisis. Here in Kenya we are one of the cogs in the machine and as we grind to a halt one thing foremost in our minds is that #natureneverstops. We have spent the past 13 years building up Community Wildlife Conservancies and these beautifully sustainable creations are under threat like never before. We are working hard with our communities to keep the faith, for their own future and that of our wildlife. We are working hard to remain united, waiting for this dark shadow to pass, awaiting tourism revenue, the lifeblood we rely upon, to return and keep our model afloat.
TRAVEL IS NOW POSSIBLE TO ALL OUR DESTINATIONS, BUT IF THIS CHANGES, POSTPONING IS THE WAY FORWARD
We are very fortunate to often work with very experienced Africa travellers, and a high number of our clients are extremely passionate about African wildlife. So where Coronavirus upsets plans for a safari, most of our clients are happy to postpone their trip to a later date. When travel is not possible, this is what the industry and our suppliers in Africa desperately need. Although the holiday is delayed, the income stream stays intact and although this period will still be difficult for companies in Africa, they are far better off than if people simply ‘cancel’. As a result we have found it relatively straight-forward to postpone holidays, usually at little extra cost. We appreciate that there are some circumstances where cancelling is the only practical thing to do, however we would like to ask our clients to make this their very last option.
Hopefully the need to postpone trips has diminished completely with global travel being fully open again, especially for fully vaccinated travellers. Currently travel to Africa is entirely possible and although a little paperwork in often required, and it helps considerably if you are fully vaccinated and can prove it, our clients are enjoying wonderful holidays again.
OUR POLICY & YOUR OPTIONS
Currently travel to Africa is fully open and normal cancellation conditions apply. We pray that the corner has finally been turned and Africa will not be starved of tourism ever again.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
It is a condition of booking with us that all our clients take out adequate travel insurance, and whilst we are aware that not all insurance policies cover all eventualities, it is now widely possible to purchase travel insurance which includes COVID 19 cover. We obviously recommend all our clients to do this. In particular, you must be covered for catching Covid 19 either before you travel (cancellation cover) or whilst you are on holiday (medical cover and curtailment). Although you are covered by our Terms and Conditions if we cannot provide your holiday, there are now several circumstances where travel insurance is essential in relation to Covid 19.
NEW BOOKINGS – BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE
If you are about to make a new booking, it is worth noting that you will be fully protected by our terms and conditions which are based around the industry’s Package Travel Regulations. Should your holiday not be able to go ahead due to UK Government FCDO advice or Red List quarantine requirements, or arrival quarantine requirements in Africa, you are entitled to a full refund should you be unable to postpone your holiday. Please note that holidays are only cancelled by us when we are certain they cannot proceed, usually between 4 and 6 weeks in advance of travel. Please also note that if you book international flights yourselves, it is your responsibility to get yourselves to Africa, though you are still covered as above for your land arrangements.
As mentioned above, travel insurance is required to travel with us, and cancellation, curtailment and medical expenses relating to Covid 19 should be included under your policy. This will cover you in case you are diagnosed with Covid 19 either prior to travel or during travel.
SUMMARY
We are here to help all of our clients as much as is needed, so please talk to us if you have concerns. Travel to Africa is now back to relative normal, with just a few extra requirements in some destinations, but we will of course adapt as required if anything changes. We remain fully committed to our Terms & Conditions which reflect Package Travel Regulations, and to providing the expert advice and personal service for which we are known. We do however now sincerely hope the restrictions of Covid are behind us!
CONTACT US
Our offices are now fully open again, so calling +44 (0)1787 888590 is the quickest way to get in contact. Alternatively, please contact your individual consultant by email or get in touch via our Contact Us page.