Ebola fears sends travel bookings to Africa plummeting

Fewer travellers are booking tours to Africa because of fears over the Ebola crisis, even though key tourism destinations are far from the areas affected by the outbreak, says a travel consultant in Winnipeg.

Arnie Hydamaka, an Africaspecialist with the Great Canadian Travel Company in Winnipeg, says an upcoming trip to East Africa in February has only two people so far.

Normally, about 20 people would have signed up by now, he said.

"The problem is we're not even getting to that point. Clients just aren't phoning in, asking for Africa right now," he told CBC News.

The current Ebola outbreak has claimed more than 4,700 lives in West Africa to date and is centred in three countries: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

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Hydamaka said key African tourist areas are about 5,000 kilometres away from the countries where the outbreak is happening, but he admits that pitch isn't convincing many people.

"You know, there's that fear it's Africa, and people going to Africa just think of Africa as Africa and not where the outbreak is," he said.

Cancer survivor 'not going to take that chance'

Dianne Michaluk of Minnedosa, Man., was about to take part in a safari in East Africa, but she has put that lifelong dream on hold amid concerns about the Ebola crisis andhow strong her immune system isright now.

"Already we know that with travel, viruses, infections [have] no stop sign. It just carries on," said Michaluk, a breast cancer survivor.

"I'm just not going to take that chance, even though it breaks my heart not to be going to Africa, because I really had my heart set on going."

But Christopher Gray, a nature photographer based in Winnipeg, saysthe Ebola crisis won't stop him from travelling to Africa next spring.

"They have to educate themselves. It's like everything else. You know, you can't just jump on every single thing," he said.

Heritage Safaris, a tour company in British Columbia, is reporting an 80 per cent drop in business even though it, too, does not offer tours to Ebola-affected parts of Africa.

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"We are fine for six, eight months, but after that if we have no new bookings it's going to be critical," company owner Thierry Cellier said.