Monkeypox & travel- Does another setback await tourism industry?

Published on June 14, 2022 10:30 AM AEST

Monkeypox & travel- Does another setback await tourism industry? — Image source: © Suprunovichvalentin | Megapixl.com

Highlights

To date, over 100 cases of monkeypox have been reported across Europe, North America, South America, North Africa, the Middle East, and Australia.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released an "Alert -- Level 2" advisory for travellers to practice enhanced precautions because of the spread of monkeypox.
Tourism industry wouldn’t be majorly affected if the number of monkeypox cases did not increase widely.

The world tourism industry faced major challenges in the wake of Covid-19. International tourism got to an almost standstill situation along with deteriorating domestic tourism. Additionally, with the advent of vaccines and rising immunity, tourism operators worldwide hope for optimum recovery of the sector in 2022. However, the fear of “monkeypox” has recently grabbed headlines. Let’s see what it is and if it will affect tourism recovery in 2022.

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Monkeypox - What is it? Where is it?

Monkeypox, being regarded as the cousin of smallpox, is an orthopoxvirus disease. It has two primary strains: a Central African and Western African clade. Central Africa has a fatality rate of up to 10%, and West Africa has a fatality rate of between 2 to 3%.

The recovery time needed for an infected person is 2-4 weeks. Monkeypox can be spread through bodily fluids and direct contact with skin lesions. It can also be transmitted through respiratory droplets, but such transmission happens after extended exposure.

Source: © Planetfelicity | Megapixl.com

Till now, over 100 cases have been reported across Europe, North America, South America, North Africa, the Middle East and Australia, with continually rising numbers. So, amid the monkeypox epidemic, The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released an "Alert -- Level 2" advisory for travellers to practice enhanced precautions because of the spread of monkeypox.

Is travel going to be affected?

At the moment, it is difficult to predict whether the world tourism industry will receive another setback because of the spread of monkeypox. Firstly, at present, the risk is low because cases are limited. Secondly, unlike Covid-19, detecting monkeypox is easier because of physically visible symptoms- thus, traction of the virus is easier.

Most doctors have recommended that people need not cancel their upcoming travel plans because of the fear of monkeypox because the risk is substantially low. Additionally, people who have recently travelled to central and west African countries and have symptoms need to contact their healthcare provider immediately.

Conclusively, the tourism industry wouldn’t be majorly affected if the number of monkeypox cases did not increase widely. However, the CDC and other administrations have recommended that people remain cautious and aware of the symptoms. All in all, following effective precautions can protect the travel industry from the monkeypox epidemic.

Toshiva Jain

Author

Toshiva Jain - Junior Analyst
186 Posts
Toshiva is a Junior Research Analyst at Kalkine. She comes from a journalism and literature background, holding a specialisation in new media journalism. Toshiva completed her post-graduate diploma course from the Asian College of Journalism. Her foc...

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