Coronavirus cost Africa travel & tourism industry $55bn: AU commissioner
Africa countries have lost almost $55 billion in travel and tourism revenues in three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, the African Union commissioner for infrastructure and energy said on Thursday.
Amani Abou-Zeid told a news conference that due to the prolonged lockdown and border closures to curb the spread of the virus, the air industry will be greatly impacted.
"Some airlines in the continent will not make it post-COVID-19," she said.
"In Africa tourism is not luxury," she said. "This is our livelihood."
Despite a steady rise in coronavirus cases, countries across Africa are forging ahead with plans to resume air traffic.
A handful of states reopened their borders last week, including Zambia and Sierra Leone. Senegal has announced the resumption of international air travel from July 15.
"As we are going to open... we are also now pushing for intra-African tourism," Abou-Zeid said, calling for lower taxes, reduced ticket fees and visa facilitation to encourage "Africans to see Africa."
She hoped the reopening of the skies would "cushion some of the serious impacts on ...air transport and tourism."
Africa has recorded more than 420,000 coronavirus cases and over 10,000 deaths.
South Africa is the hardest-hit country in sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for around a third of total cumulative numbers in the region.
The World Health Organization’s regional chief Matshidiso Moeti has warned of a "certain underestimation of cases" due to test kit shortages and the tendency to test only symptomatic patients.
Prosper Zo'o Minto'o of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) described the virus' impact on the African airline industry as "alarming."
Aircrafts flew 60 million less passengers on international routes over the past three months, and 30 million less for domestic travel.
Zo'o Minto'o estimated that airlines would require at least $20 billion in stimulus aid for them to take back to the skies.
(Source: Agencies)
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