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South Africa's safari business experienced a dramatic drop in 2020, and as it looked like it was climbing back uphill, travel bans caused by the omicron variant have hit them hard again, the Associated Press reported.
The Omicron COVID-19 variant, now spreading around the world, was first discovered in South Africa and Botswana. This prompted many countries, not too long after lifting restrictions, to reimpose travel bans on the region.
Fred Plachesi, owner of the Tamboti Bush Lodge in the Dinokeng Game Reserve, north of the Tshwane metropolitan area, said South Africa's safari lodges are now dealing with cancellations and few new bookings.
The number of foreign tourists in South Africa dropped by 70 percent in 2020, the AP reported. The country saw 15 million tourists in 2019, compared to less than 5 million in 2020.
Plachesi said before omicron began to spread, his lodge's bookings were increasing.
"The year 2022 was looking quite bright because the borders were now open, and everybody was happy," Plachesi said. "After this, omicron, it seems that (a slump) is going to happen again like in 2021."
The lodge only had four guests over the weekend. Though most international guests have cancelled their trips, Plachesi and his business partner remain hopeful that they will get more local bookings.
Britain, the largest source of tourists to South Africa, lifted its "red list" travel restrictions on South Africa in October and safari operators were beginning to see an improved outlook for the holiday season and 2022. But then the news of Omicron struck, bringing a new round of international restrictions on flights.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticized the travel bans imposed by Britain and many others, including some African countries as "hypocritical, harsh and not supported by science." He denounced the restrictions as "travel apartheid."
Plachesi believes the travel bans imposed on South Africa are unfair and will have a negative impact on the people of South Africa.
"I really think it's very unfair for the country ... it's the South African people and businesses and that suffer," said Plachesi.
He hopes that many countries will reconsider their flight bans and allow travel to and from South Africa again.
Among the few overnight guests at the lodge were South Africans Tebogo Masiu and Smagele Twala, who wanted a break from their schedules in Johannesburg. They said they are dismayed by the new travel restrictions on South Africa.
"For people who are running businesses interlinking South Africa and other countries and raising the economy of South Africa ... that is damaging," said Masiu, sitting at an empty bar with only his partner and the lodge's owners for company.
"It's unfair. They are victimizing us," Twala said.
With the outlook bleak for 2022, Plachesi and his business partner try to keep the empty rooms ready in the hopes that at least local visitors will embark on a safari tour.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
