By Dennis Bunnik, Joint-CEO
A simple scroll through social media and various news outlets at the moment and it is pretty easy to jump to the conclusion that the world is doomed! We’re all about to be eaten up by the Coronavirus and should stop everything immediately.
It’s not too far-fetched to say that this is causing a worldwide panic. What started off primarily in China is now spreading globally with Europe and North America currently in the grips of the panic and its associated irrational behaviour.
I’m no medical expert and never will be. However, one thing I do know is that I will not be taking medical or travel advice from social media nor news headlines.
In my role as chair of the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) and Joint-CEO of Bunnik Tours my job is to make decisions based on the best credible information I have available. This is not always easy when the situation is changing on a daily basis.
How do we separate fact from fiction? Firstly though, I would like to touch on why there are so many sensational headlines at the moment.
News Outlets Love a Dramatic Headline
Dramatic headlines create clicks and sell papers. So, when a Government Minister talks about reviewing the National Emergency Action Plan and details the different threat level responses the media naturally leads with what the ‘worst case’ scenario looks like as this will create more interest for the story. It is not until you read the body of the story that you realise the headline has been over dramatized. The problem is most people only read the headlines.
Of course, governments and professional businesses need to have emergency plans in place and at times like this it makes sense to review them and make sure all is in order. The World Health Organisation, similarly has protocols in place and has been calling for all governments to prepare. The news media is simply amplifying this message. It does not mean however that the worse-case scenario is any more likely than the best-case scenario.
Adding further fuel to the fire of dramatic headlines are the politicians who will take any opportunity to look strong in the media to help their opinion polls – for example by shutting borders or prematurely declaring a pandemic when one does not exist. This impact then snowballs and creates further unnecessary angst in the community.
Social Media Loves Drama – and a Conspiracy Theory!
Social media and instant access to information via smart phones is overall fantastic. However, spend enough time online and you’ll be convinced the earth is flat and man didn’t land on the moon. As I mentioned before, I don’t take medical advice from strangers on social media.
Sadly, the result of all of this panic is that holidays and even public events are being cancelled for no valid reason.
The head of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said this week, “Our greatest enemy right now is not the virus itself, it’s fear, rumours and stigma”. He stressed that fear and misinformation were the biggest challenges to overcome.
Fear, misinformation and panic are leading to irrational decisions which in turn is placing entire industries and economies under threat. Thousands of jobs have already been lost and it is not inconceivable that a number of airlines and companies relying on travel, tourism and events will stop trading as a result.
The biggest impact of COVID-19 will be economic rather than medical.
So before making any decisions it is important that you are armed with up to date information from reliable sources. The following are the ones we use at Bunnik Tours and CATO to guide our decision-making process.
Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT)
The Smartraveller website (www.smartraveller.gov.au) provides the latest travel safety information for Australian travellers heading overseas.
Through my role at CATO I met with senior officials this week from the DFAT Smartraveller Division which included a senior manager from the DFAT COVID-19 Task Force.
DFAT has a very strict No Double Standards policy – which forbids them from withholding information which they have available to their own staff. This ensures all travel safety and security information is shared with the Australian public. DFAT is obviously monitoring COVID-19 very closely and amending travel warnings as a result.
The reality is though, that despite the ‘worldwide panic’, DFAT as at 1 March 2020 has only changed the travel warnings for 5 countries. They are:
China & Iran:
Changed to Level 4: Do Not Travel.
For China this is due to it being the epicentre of the outbreak and with the evacuation of non-essential staff Australia only has limited consular capability for assisting Australian travellers.
For Iran the warning was already at the second highest level (Reconsider Your Need to Travel). The increase is due to the rapid spread of the virus, the perceived weakness of the Iranian health system (I would imagine in part due to sanctions), reducing commercial flight options for leaving the country and the limited Australian consular capability in Iran.
South Korea
Changed to Level 3: Reconsider Your Need to Travel.
The level has increased from Level 2 (Exercise a High Degree of Caution) to Level 3 (Reconsider Your Need to Travel).
Italy
Changed to Level 3: Reconsider Your Need to Travel.
The overall travel warning for Italy has now increased to Level 3 (Reconsider your need to travel). Parts of Northern Italy have increased to Level 4 (Do Not Travel).
Japan
Changed to Level 2: Exercise a High Degree of Caution.
The level has increased from the lowest Level 1 (Exercise Normal Safety Precautions) to the second lowest Level 2 (Exercise a High Degree of Caution).
The Australian Government does NOT recommend cancelling travel to Japan. It is advising travellers to be more vigilant regarding their personal hygiene and stay aware of any local restrictions. Japan has a strong robust health system and the Australian Government has high levels of Consular Capability in place.
Mongolia
Changed to Level 2: Exercise a High Degree of Caution.
The travel warning has been increased from the lowest Level 1 (Exercise Normal Safety Precautions) to the second lowest Level 2 (Exercise a High Degree of Caution).
The reason for this change is that whilst Mongolia has not had any reported cases the health reporting system there is perceived as potentially weak and Australia has limited Consular Capability in Mongolia.
Changes to government travel warnings are based on fact and information from multiple credible sources. The fact that so few warnings have changed should give travellers comfort as to the seriousness of this virus.
United Nations World Health Organisation
www.who.int
The World Health Organisation is the world’s peak health organisation providing advice and assistance to governments to help improve health services and manage health emergencies.
WHO has been involved with COVID-19 since its initial outbreak and continues to be the leading source of up to date information.
At a press conference in Geneva on 28 February 2020 Dr Tedros said that most cases of the virus could still be traced and there was no evidence of the virus spreading freely in communities.
The head of the WHO’s Emergency Health Program, Dr Mike Ryan, stressed that current data information does not suggest that the virus has become a global pandemic.
Dr Tedros reiterated that the spread had the potential to become a pandemic but cautioned against unnecessary panic.
The Next Steps – To Travel or Not To Travel?
If you are travelling in the next 2-3 months
- Closely monitor www.smartraveller.gov.au and the information available on www.who.int.
- Check with your insurance company as to the level of coverage you have.
- Check with your tour operator as to the status of your tour.
- Your decision to travel should be based on the advice from the above sources taking into account your personal circumstances – consult with your doctor regarding any increased risk.
If you are travelling from 1 June 2020 onwards
- Do nothing now. The situation will likely change significantly in the next 3 months and making a decision to cancel or delay your booking now may result in unnecessary cancellation and amendment fees.
- Keep monitoring the information sources above and keep regular contact with your travel consultant.
Fear of Quarantine After Travel
There is some fear amongst travellers that they may be sent to special quarantine facilities in Darwin or Christmas Island if there is an outbreak at their holiday destination. Whilst this fear is understandable it is important to bear in mind that the only Australians sent to special quarantine facilities were those evacuated out of Wuhan City and from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
The normal practice for Australians returning from countries with high rates of infection is to self-isolate at home for 14 days and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms of illness develop.
Bunnik Tours Actions
We are monitoring the situation daily including receiving reports from our local agents overseas.
- Our staff travel is unaffected. We currently have 3 member of the leadership team in Europe, one staff member in Mexico and 9 staff due to travel to Egypt in early March.
- Some tours have been cancelled including all departures to China and several departures to South Korea. All other tours are operating as normal however extra hygiene measures are in place.
- Cancellation and amendment fees are being assessed on a case by case basis as we work with our airline and ground partners to minimize the impact on our clients.
A Final Note
Travel restrictions from China and other parts of Asia are having a significant impact on visitor numbers to many destinations. Similarly, there are many irrational cancellations from the western world. As a result this could actually be the best year to see some of the world’s most popular destinations without the mass crowds.
The contents of this article are current as at the date of publication. You should consider your personal circumstances and seek your own advice accordingly.