As the M.P.O.V. spreads in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency of international concern. But tourism professionals across Africa (including tour operators who are facing massive cancellations) are fighting back against a misleading media narrative that portrays the entire continent as a high-risk area.
“It is not only untrue to portray the entire continent as a high-risk area due to local outbreaks, but it also harms the vital tourism economy across Africa,” said David Frost, CEO of Satsa, which represents inbound tourism in South Africa. “Africa is not a country, it is a vast continent. Geographically, it is larger than China, the United States and Europe combined,” he stressed.
To put geographic distance into perspective, the distance between the Democratic Republic of Congo and popular safari destinations in countries like South Africa, Kenya or Tanzania is similar to the distance between New York and California. Dr. Richard Dowd, medical adviser for the African Travel and Tourism Association, confirmed that “most tourists and travellers to Africa are not at risk” and that “travel to Africa for typical tourist activities (e.g. safaris, outdoor activities, beaches) is unlikely to be affected by the outbreak.”
Despite this, some travel agents are reporting a surge in cancellations and inquiries due to misinformation and lack of geographic awareness.
“We’ve had a lot of questions from concerned travelers, and some have even cancelled trips because they were scared by inaccurate media reports,” says Onne Vegter, executive director of Wild Wings Safaris.
In the United States, Jim Holden, president of Holden Safaris, said clients heading on safaris to South Africa, Botswana and Victoria Falls were wondering if they should cancel their trips now that the World Health Organization has declared mpox a global emergency.
“I explained to them that the general consensus is that the WHO has declared mpox a global emergency to focus the world’s attention on the problem, that they are sending vaccines to Africa and that they are currently working on improving the smallpox vaccine,” Holden said. “I also explained that Cape Town is about as far from the mpox epicenter in Congo as Los Angeles is from New York. These customers live in Los Angeles. I said, ‘There is no reason for me to be hiding under my bed at this stage!’”
James Haigh, head of sales and marketing at Lemala Camps, cautioned that while there had been no cancellations so far, the cancellations themselves were not as severe as the drop in enquiries. “It’s too early to tell what the impact on enquiries will be,” he said.
Veteran tourism expert Debbie Addison expressed her frustration. “I get angry and frustrated when people are so irresponsibly ‘spreading’ information that hasn’t been thoroughly researched. I guess the word ‘panic-mongering’ is the right word.”
“WHO and major media companies need to be much more specific and responsible in these cases so that the entire continent is not blamed,” Vegter argued.
Travel industry leaders are creating opportunities to educate travelers about the vastness and diversity of the African continent.
A continent, not a country
Don Scott, owner of Tanda Tula Safari Camp in South Africa, stressed the need to move beyond the simple “Africa is not a country” message. “Travellers and the general public need to better understand the size and diversity of the continent.”
Scott recalls a similar situation in 2017: “We had a guest from Houston, Texas, who wanted a guarantee that if there were any reports of Ebola in South Africa, we would refund the guest. We explained to them at the time that they needed to be more concerned about their guests in their home city, because there had been confirmed cases of Ebola in Houston at the time!”
Tourism businesses are calling on the industry to challenge oversimplification and fight the “one story” narrative about Africa. Addison said he believes in truthfulness and transparency from both governments and tourism stakeholders.
“Sometimes governments try to 'ignore' or suppress problems. ~is “We raise the issue so that it doesn’t hurt the tourism industry, and then we’re ‘not trusted,’” Addison said. “On one side, journalists are fanning the flames, and on the other side, governments are burying their heads in the sand and pretending that everything is fine, but it’s not. … Travel agents who make their living from tourism are caught in the middle, trying to explain the reality of the situation.”
Scott added that he wanted to encourage travel agents and tour operators to ensure their teams are well-versed in Africa's geographical diversity and to share that knowledge with travelers.
As Lemala Camps’ James Haigh puts it, “The best education is discovery and ‘seeing for yourself’.” He points to the “resilience of African populations” and well-managed tourism destinations that shatter common misconceptions.
Tourism experts urge travelers to get up-to-date information from trusted sources such as WHO and Africa CDC, and to consult local operators for accurate information for their destinations before changing travel plans.
UPDATE: This report was updated at 1:45 p.m. ET on August 22 to include several new comments from Jim Holden of Holden Safaris, James Haigh of Lemala Camps, Debbie Addison of Wild Frontier, and Don Scott of Tanda Tula.
