I have a dream! To travel around the world and experience different cultures. To taste amazing foods and drink funny looking cocktails. To go sky diving from the highest mountains, ziplining from the tallest trees and swim in the deepest parts of the blue oceans. However, anytime i begin to plan my trip, one very important thing holds me back. Is this country safe? Are there no epidemics there? I heard about the outbreak of some deadly virus and so on. If all these doubts are amazingly put to bed, another one quickly springs up. Is there proper healthcare in that country? What if i fall ill? Will I have access to good quality healthcare? As a traveler,you always need assurances of quality healthcare before you make that trip. Jumia Travel, Africa’s leading online travel agency takes a look at healthcare and it’s importance to hospitality.
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Safety : With growing concerns of deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Ebola, many tourists and travelers have been stigmatized and therefore are sceptical about traveling to many parts of Africa. One very important thing they look out for is safety. How safe the country or region is will either inspire the traveler or demoralize him/her from traveling. In many developing African countries such as Ghana, health is paramount on their agendas which positively impacts tourism and hospitality because of increased development in healthcare and medical infrastructure. Tourists are now confident of traveling to such countries because they can trust the health systems and access ultra modern healthcare facilities.
Standards and Regulations : Who is allowed into the country? What processes do you have to go through before you step foot in a country. These are many questions that you need to answer before traveling as a tourist or business traveler. On the part of hotels, restaurants and tourist sites, conformity to certain standards and attaining certain legal documents helps to properly evaluate facilities and ensure that all hotels and guest houses open to foreign and local nations meet the appropriate requirements. When a guest is comfortable with a hotel and is sure that the restaurant is licensed, he/she is very comfortable there and will readily spend more time and more money there hence boosting the hospitality industry.
Vaccination : One very popular test many foreigners are required to take before entering into Africa is the yellow fever test. Due to the high rate of yellow fever cases in many parts of Africa, immigration services have become very strict on travelers taking a yellow fever test before entering or exiting a country. This has helped reduce the risk of foreigners contracting this disease because they get immunized before they travel. Many other vaccines are administered also to foreigners who plan on traveling to Africa. This makes the traveler feel safe to travel for business or leisure and spend a lot of time and money in country.This also means more revenue for hotels, restaurants and tourist sites. A boom for the hospitality industry.
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There is nothing more frustrating than falling ill when on vacation or on a business trip. With little or no access to quality healthcare, you are more than likely in danger. The importance of healthcare to hospitality cannot be overemphasized and it is imperative that stakeholders in the health and hospitality industries work together to ensure that there is harmony between them. A win for one, is a win for all.
Author : Bennet Otoo, Jumia Travel
