African tour operator eases trip refund policy over Ebola travel fears

Boston-based Overseas Adventure Travel announced Monday that travelers with reservations on upcoming trips to Africa may cancel their trips without penalty up until the day of departure.

The cancellation policy change was made because of the Ebola outbreak in which thousands have died in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea -- places where Overseas Adventure doesn’t go.

“To date, zero cases of Ebola have been reported in the African countries OAT visits on our adventures (Morocco, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa),” the company’s website says.

Still, travelers who have reservations with the small-group travel outfitter to parts of Africa far from the Ebola outbreak may ask for a full refund or switch to another destination without any additional charges.

“Based on the feedback we’ve received last week and this week from our travelers on our [web] forums and through calls and e-mails, we know that we have offered travelers some peace of mind by allowing for last minute cancellations,” spokeswoman Priscilla O’Reilly writes via e-mail.

Overseas Travel says less than 2% of its customers on upcoming African trips have canceled, and that it plans to operate all tours it has scheduled.

Other companies aren’t faring so well, media reports say.

About half of 500 safari tour operators say business is off 20% to 70%, according to a September survey by SafariBookings.com. “The impact is more noticeable in East than in southern Africa,” the website says. “It is a heavy blow for the industry and the numerous wildlife reserves that rely on its revenue.”