It’s not a surprise to learn that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the travel industry harder than any other business sector. In the US alone, over eight million jobs have been lost, which is more than half of all the travel-supported jobs in the USA before the pandemic. The word most often used to describe this pandemic is “devastation” – a term that means complete destruction.

You might expect that the result of all this would be a lot of “doom and gloom” among travel professionals. But, in fact, the exact opposite is true. Talking and corresponding with many of Safari Professionals’ travel partners and colleagues, there seems to be an unwavering sense of optimism in the future.

So where does this optimism come from? It’s born from the understanding that, for many people, the desire to travel is strong and that challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic only delay taking action to plan travel itineraries. This delay can be seen in the the 94% of travelers who rescheduled their 2020 safaris into 2021 and 2022. Furthermore, inquiries from prospective travelers have started coming in asking us to assist them in planning their safari in 2021.

This optimism also comes from the ability of Safari Professionals’ travel colleagues to adapt to what are unprecedented and rapids changes in how safaris will be conducted. Within Safari Professionals, the health and safety of travelers has always been placed as the first priority. As various partners and colleagues of Safari Professionals reopen for business over the next few months, their protocols will be reviewed to ensure that travelers can be confident that their health and safety remains the top priority throughout their safaris.