The Seychelles has announced an 18-month ban on cruise ships, effective immediately.
As part of efforts to prevent a second wave of coronavirus infections, the country will close its Port Victoria to cruise liners until the end of 2021, says Didier Dogley, Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine.
The move has been met with acceptance from tourism stakeholders, even if it is understood that it will affect the country’s already struggling tourism industry.
The cruise industry has been a major catalyst by which the Covid-19 has spread throughout the world
“The Seychelles Ports Authority appreciates the fact that the government has made a prudent decision to mitigate the impact that Covid-19 may have in the medium term. It is to be noted that the cruise industry has been a major catalyst by which the Covid-19 has spread throughout the world,” Ronny Brutus, chief executive of the authority told the Seychelles News Agency.
“It is important to recognise the fact that the risk factor of a resurgence of the Covid-19 in Seychelles far outweighs the opportunity cost of not having cruise port calls for the next two years.”
At the same time, Dogley outlined a series of measures to support the tourism industry, including salary guarantees until June, favourable loan agreements and tax holidays for those in the industry.
The island nation has announced plans to reopen its airport to commercial flights on Monday, June 1, but stressed that strict control measures and travel advisories would be put in place.
According to the Seychelles News Agency, the country’s public health commissioner, Jude Gedeon, has said that the country would gradually lift restrictions and does not expect tourism to rebound immediately.
"We are thinking that with the current situation, we will not see tourism relaunched in a fast manner in June. We are looking at maybe July or August.
"This is why the opening of commercial operations of the airport does not necessarily mean there will be a lot of movement of people. Control measures that were put in place will be reinforced," he said.
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Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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