Impact of Ebola crisis spreads

WHILE the Ebola
situation in West Africa
worsens, with the
SA government joining other
countries in restricting travel to
and from affected areas, the
impact on travel for corporates
deepens.
South Africa recently
announced that South African
citizens returning from Guinea,
Liberia and Sierra Leone, would
be subject to strict screening,
including temperature checks.
They are also being asked to
delay all but the most essential
travel to Ebola-affected
countries.
As a result of the travel
advisory, insurance providers
have updated their policies.
Oojah Travel Insurance
policies don’t provide cover
for travellers to areas
where a travel advisory
has been issued. Travellers
who arrived in the abovementioned
countries before
the SA government issued the
advisory, will still be covered by
their insurance policy. However,
they will have to leave the
country “as soon as possible”.
TIC continues to cover
travellers to Ebola-affected
countries, but the insurance
provider can’t guarantee that
the client will be repatriated
due to the restrictions in place
by the different governments
and the travel ban from South
Africa. “Everyone should be
aware that should they become
sick, it is unlikely that an
evacuation will be authorised,”
says Simmy Micheli, manager
of sales and marketing.
The government’s
announcement has had farreaching
implications for
corporate travel to West Africa.
Monique Swart, founder of
Abta, says, for the most part,
travel has been halted. She
says many companies have
started bringing non-essential
expat staff home.
She adds that the pressure
of decreased trade could
ultimately lead to business
closures, which may or may not
be rectified once the epidemic
has passed. “There is also
the concern that airlines that
have suspended their flights
into these regions, may find
it difficult to re-open these
routes if demand has dropped
drastically,” she says.
Jim Weighell, GBTA’s director
of operations for Southern
Africa, agrees: “There will
be a definite impact on the
volume of traffic with significant
reductions in corporate travel
and incoming visitors from the
affected states.”
The situation is an
opportunity for TMCs to add
value and support to their
corporate customers who need
help navigating the complex
web of government regulations,
health requirements and
African flight routes.
Ben Langner, md of Carlson
Wagonlit Travel, says TMCs
can still advise, plan and act
to counter the consequences
of the Ebola issue. “This may
include the traveller finding
himself in a place where he
doesn’t speak the language,
where medical facilities are
very limited, transportation
disrupted, quarantines
declared, communications
failing and civil unrest flaring.
In my view, the case for a TMC
service and support is clearly
made!”
Shaun Lovett, Wings Travel
Management’s key account
manager for Oil and Gas,
agrees that the Ebola outbreak
has re-emphasized the
importance of having a good
TMC on your side with realtime
traveller tracking, effective
communication with travel
alerts and 24/7 support.
Claude Vankeirsbilck, chief
sales and marketing officer
of Tourvest Travel Services,
says while TMCs can certainly
advise and guide clients, only
health organisations, such
as WHO, can advise on travel
restrictions. “TMCs are not
health authorities and are not
in a position to advise against
travel. It is important that
companies and their travellers
follow health authorities’
advisories to decide on travel
to these affected areas,”
he says.