Coronavirus: approaching the tourist season, the concern of the Malagasy

Text by: Sarah Tétaud Follow

The Big Island, which has not registered any case of coronavirus to date, is nonetheless redoubling its vigilance. All the new preventive measures have not yet been announced. As for tourism operators, there is concern because the season will start in less than a month.

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From our correspondent in Madagascar

The brutal appearance of the virus in Italy 72 hours ago and the spectacular increase in the number of infected people created turmoil on the Big Island: here, the Italians represent one of the most important nationalities in terms of number of tourists .

“ We remain very vigilant. The number of staff at ports and airports has been doubled to strengthen passenger controls. So today, we are doing everything to prevent this virus from entering Madagascar, ”explains Joël Randriamandranto, the Minister of Transport and Tourism, who wants to be reassuring, but firm.

“ Yesterday, we prohibited a liner from berthing at Fort-Dauphin. So as soon as there are doubts, we ban immediately. Afterwards, we are lucky : as it is in low season, direct flights from Italy are suspended. And as the flights are stopped, we cannot prohibit a link which is not operational. Obviously, we will see the evolution of this epidemic, and we will take the necessary decisions at the right time. "

"We live in anguish"

And it is precisely this scenario that worries tourism professionals. Next March 16, the first charter flight of the season should fly to Milan from Nosy-Be. Cesare Nichesolo, is the head of a tour operator in Madagascar. 90% of its customers are Italian.

" We live in anxiety that Madagascar prohibits like Mauritius on Monday the landing of Italian tourists, " he explains. On February 25, the Mauritian authorities banned the disembarkation of part of the passengers - those from the regions of Lombardy and Veneto, the most affected by the virus - from an Alitalia Rome-Port Louis flight. If this tour operator has not yet registered any cancellation, it is however overwhelmed by the calls of its partners in Italy who are concerned about the little information given by the Malagasy government.

Operators are already expecting a difficult 2020 tourist season. A new blow to a sector, which after having suffered repeated political crises and plague epidemics, had just recorded for the year 2019 an increase of 30% in the number of tourists compared to 2018.

For his part, the Minister of Tourism warned: " Health first! The economy can be revived later. "

According to several senior state officials, in the event of an epidemic on the territory, the country's health system would not be able to respond to a major health crisis.

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• Madagascar
• coronavirus

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