The major political shifts in the US appear to be having a notable impact on demand for travel from the US to Southern and East Africa, the results of our latest poll show.
Exactly 50% of our industry readers said they noticed a drop in demand from the US as a result of current political shifts. A total of 21% of respondents said they hadn’t noticed any drop in demand while 29% responded “Unsure”.
The results prompt some concern for the prospects of inbound tourism from the US, which is the leading overseas source market for the majority of Southern and East African countries.
Is luxury train travel still an attractive option?
The recent collision between Rovos Rail and a freight train in Zimbabwe has sparked concerns about the safety of luxury train travel in Southern Africa.
The collision occurred on the morning of Friday, April 18 with 47 guests and 34 staff members on board the train travelling on the Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway (BBR) to Victoria Falls. No guests were injured in the crash. In a statement, Rovos Rail clarified that this was the first such incident to occur on the BBR for over 20 years.
“We pride ourselves on the experience we provide for our guests, which is underpinned by safety for all onboard. We sincerely regret this occurrence but, rest assured, the safety and well-being of our guests and staff is paramount,” the company said.
Our poll question this week is:
