How the coronavirus is impacting travel plans for South Africans to popular destinations
As the Covid-19 coronavirus continues to spread – with The World Health Organisation declaring the outbreak a pandemic – countries are beginning to put restrictions on travel.
As of 13 March 2020 there were 134,804 confirmed cases of the coronavirus globally with 4,984 confirmed deaths.
There are approximately 59,426 patients who are currently infected, while 70,394 people have already recovered or have been discharged from various medical facilities.
South Africa has 16 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
Experts have warned that the effect of the virus on Asian tourism will carry into 2021 as travel agents, operators, and hoteliers are bracing for at least months, if not a full year, of economic disruption from the outbreak.
“The numbers of trip cancellations—not just to China but to the entire continent of Asia—is growing every day,” Jack Ezon, founder and managing partner of luxury travel agency Embark Beyond told Bloomberg.
“People are put off. Sadly, a lot of them are just saying, ‘I don’t know if I want to go anywhere right now.’ Or, in many cases, ‘I’ll just go next year.”
While the impact on tourism across the rest of the world may be less dramatic, a number of countries have introduced some restrictions on travel to and from the country.
How South African travel plans could be impacted
Many countries and territories have introduced screening measures (temperature checks and health/travel questions) and entry restrictions at border crossings and transport hubs.
If you have recently been in a country affected by the virus you may need to be quarantined, or you may not be allowed to enter or travel through a third country.
As governments and local authorities bring in measures to control the spread of the virus, some airlines are changing their schedules or suspending flights to some destinations.
If you’re due to travel to an area affected by the coronavirus, keep up-to-date with the latest information from your travel company or airline.
- Australia – The Australian government is restricting entry from some countries and travellers who have been there within 14 days of their arrival in Australia. These restrictions include mainland China, Italy, Iran and South Korea. Australian citizens or permanent residents (and their immediate family) are exempt.
- Canada – The Canadian government has no restrictions on travel to and from South Africa, but travellers should still expect screening.
- China – Chinese authorities have advised against all travel to the country’s Hubei province. All but essential travel has been advised for the rest of China.
- France – The French government has said that it is preferable to postpone travel abroad as much as possible. While South Africans may still fly to the country, they should expect heavy screening and quarantined areas.
- Italy – Italian authorities have advised against all but essential travel to Italy. Tourists already on holiday in Italy should limit their movements to those necessary to return to the place where they live.
- UK travel – The UK government has no restrictions on travel to and from South Africa, but travellers should still expect screening.
- US travel – The US government has postponed travel to and from Europe but at this time South Africa is not affected. Travellers should still expect screening.
International cruises
If you are planning to go on a cruise, be aware a Covid-19 outbreak on board is possible, and your travel may be disrupted.
If you are aged 70 and over, or if you have underlying health conditions, you could be advised against cruise ship travel at this time.
The Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) has adopted an enhanced member health policy which all CLIA ocean member cruise lines must follow.
It includes guidance on who should be permitted to board cruise ships. If you are due to travel on an international cruise, contact your travel company for the latest information.
Local travel
Locally, tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has also warned that the coronavirus will have a direct impact on the travel industry.
“The outbreak of the coronavirus in December 2019 has already affected the tourism industry very negatively and this will continue until the world finds a way of containing this virus,” she said.
Kubayi-Ngubane said South Africa’s tourism industry has already suffered serious losses.
“Undoubtedly, these losses are still going to increase. Whatever happens… the virus will have a negative impact on the tourism sector, at least in the short to medium term.”
Despite this decline in tourism, travel agency Flight Centre said that South Africans are still looking to score deals.
“South Africans are incredibly resilient and continue to look for bargain travel deals,” said Flight Centre Travel Group Middle East and Africa managing director, Andrew Stark.
Emigration
Ryan Rennison, marketing and sales director of Move Up, confirmed that his company has seen a decrease in leisure requests, however he noted that emigration enquiries remain high as it is a more long term process.
“Move Up is seeing an increase in website traffic, which leads me to conclude that the interest and demand of South Africans looking to emigrate remains high. Even after the awareness of coronavirus has been made known,” he said.
He added that the UK government has not considered factoring in Covid-19 coronavirus status in their visa decision-making process. At present, they are focusing on containing infections within their borders, he said.
“Given that the UK government cannot easily facilitate SA-based checks, I do not foresee any South African emigration complications in the immediate future.”
“If anything, coronavirus is a contributing factor in the relocation process. Cost of travel has come down as international airlines look to compete in smaller markets (with less people travelling).
“Further to this, it seems as if South Africans are confident in the UK’s public health care system for coronavirus treatment facilities. Possibly they are more confident in the UK’s ability to handle the virus than South Africa’s ability.”
All information correct as of 08h30 on 13 March 2020.
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