BRIC Team reports: Russians are not canceling trips to African countries because of the Ebola outbreak, as it has not affected popular tourist destinations, Russian Union of Travel Industry board member and Space Travel CEO Artur Muradyan said at a press conference. "We see that another Ebola outbreak is developing in Africa. Fortunately, these are absolutely not tourist countries.
<…> The destinations our tourists travel to are South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. There are no outbreaks there, and we are not recording any travel cancellations," he said. Africa is expected to show growth in demand from Russian tourists following the summer season, including due to the expansion of flight programs.
Background
On May 15, the authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda announced the outbreak of Ebola fever on their territories. The outbreak is caused by the Ebola Bundibugyo virus, which was first identified in Uganda in the fall of 2007. The Health Ministry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo reported that 204 people had died from Ebola during the current outbreak.
Key facts
- "We see that another Ebola outbreak is developing in Africa.
- Fortunately, these are absolutely not tourist countries.
- <…> The destinations our tourists travel to are South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
What this means
The World Health Organization reported more than 900 suspected cases and 101 confirmed Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
