Omicron: Safari tourism takes a hit

Dinokeng Game Reserve: Recent travel bans imposed on South Africa and neighboring countries in response to the discovery of the omicron variant in southern Africa have hammered the country’s safari business, already hard hit by the pandemic. South Africa’s tourism industry suffered a more than 70% drop in foreign tourists in 2020, with COVID-19 blamed for the drop from about 15 million visitors in 2019 to less than 5 million in 2020. Tourism employs about 4.7% of South Africa’s workforce.

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 safari lodges are experiencing cancellations and few new reservations, saif the owner of the Tamboti Bush Lodge in the Dinokeng Game Reserve.