The novel coronavirus continues to cause panic. Travellers with plans to visit any of the affected countries are wondering whether or not they should cancel their plans altogether. Some holidaymakers are choosing alternative destinations to Asia, deferring their travel or cancelling their plans, as the situation is evolving rapidly, and its potential impact is unknown.
In a statement, members of the Association of Southern African Travel Agents (ASATA) confirm that, in particular, leisure travel has been affected.
Read: 16 airlines cancel flights to China
Otto de Vries, CEO of ASATA, said that travel suppliers such as cruise lines, airlines and tour operators have implemented proactive measures. These include rerouting itineraries, cancelling flights to affected areas, increasing their health precautions and enforcing travel restrictions to mitigate the risk of contracting the virus.
‘In some cases, cruise lines and airlines are waiving their cancellation and change penalties outright to accommodate passengers who choose to cancel or defer their travel plans. There is no question that there will be an impact to the outbound travel sector as the wider public gets to grips with how and where the virus is spreading.’
Travelling to China and Hong Kong is discouraged unless for necessity. Other Asian countries should be safe to visit if you take safety precautions according to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases.
ASATA members are also advising travellers, who do choose to travel, to ensure they have the right travel insurance and to know what their policy includes, so that if they need to cancel or defer their travel, they are covered appropriately.
South African travellers, who are returning from their holiday or business trips, can be assured that currently there are no travel or trade restrictions to South Africa, and that any passenger found to be ill or exhibiting fever symptoms on arrival will be reviewed at airport clinics.
Read: Travelling in Taiwan during the coronavirus outbreak
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