This was published 9 years ago
Ebola scare forces price of African safaris to fall
By Ellen Creager
African animals are probably wondering where all the people have gone.
Safari business in east Africa and south Africa has dried up, plunging an estimated 20 percent to 70 percent since the Ebola virus hit west Africa. Operators have seen cancellations galore even though the part of Africa hit by Ebola is nowhere near safari country.
"My business is down 50 percent," said William Cowger, a US photographer who runs photo safaris to Tanzania, travelling there 28 times since 2005. "People are nervous. A lot of people don't really recognize the geography. People think Africa is a country, not a continent."
Don't be one of those people.
While the confused and the scaredy-cats wimp out, now's the best time to book a safari.
First, take a look at a map. Arusha, Tanzania, where many safaris and treks to Mount Kilimanjaro begin, is 3,400 miles from Monrovia, Liberia, scene of the Ebola outbreak.
That is the same distance as Anchorage to Atlanta, except without a single road between them. There is no Ebola in east Africa.
(Similarly, it's 3,300 miles from Liberia to Nairobi, Kenya, and 3,500 miles to Johannesburg, South Africa, two other safari starting points.)
Even so, Cowger has already cancelled one February departure when participants got cold feet. He said it is not the avid photographers who are cancelling but their spouses or partners, nervous about Africa in the first place, "so something like this is enough to tip them over the edge." His other trips are still being offered.
The Economist magazine reports empty safari camps in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania, calling the situation "the biggest drop in business in living memory" for safari operators because of an "epidemic of ignorance" about geography among travellers and about Ebola.
West Africa has no safaris and few big game animals. Only east Africa and south Africa do.
Lack of tourism is worse than just an economic jolt to the nations. It may lead to increased poaching.
"Protection of wildlife is 90 percent-plus funded by tourism," Cowger says. "When tourism drops, their seemingly insurmountable task of protecting their wildlife from poaching and development becomes even more difficult."
An African safari is not cheap. Not including the airfare, a good east Africa safari usually costs about $5,000 to $7,000. This is one destination where you should not pinch pennies; look for a safari that includes some travel by small plane to reach game drive areas, nice tented camps and travel during prime migration times.
But the plummeting business in Africa for tourists will put price pressure on airfares and safaris.
"My trip is more expensive because I only put four people in the car instead of eight. We see so much wildlife. I have my own private photo camps now with private chefs, beautiful tented camps," says Cowger, whose trips attract tourists from all over the world and cost about $7,800 for 13 days.
"I'm just considering offering a discount for the first time ever. I haven't done it yet. If it would put some people over the top then I would do that."
Watch for other operators to do the same.
You also can look at other safaris offered on the clearinghouse website www.safaribookings.com, although I would consult with a travel agent before booking them.
A few years ago when I was on safari, the concern in east Africa was whether too many tourists were crowding the animals.
Now, the animals are probably wondering where the humans went.
TNS
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