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Lemon takes Ebola questions to NY streets

Lemon takes Ebola questions to NY streets 03:50

But despite the fact that the main safari destinations in southern and eastern Africa are thousands of kilometers from the Ebola-stricken countries of the west, industry leaders say fears of the disease are keeping tourists away.

A survey based on feedback from more than 500 safari operators conducted by African booking company Safaribookings.com found that as of late September, more than half reported a 20 to 70% decline in bookings.

"Numerous safari tour operators report to us that clients view Africa as a single country when it comes to risk assessment," Wouter Vergeer, Safaribookings.com founder, tells CNN.

Vergeer says the impact is most noticeable in East Africa, home to safari hotspots such as Kenya's Masai Mara and Tanzania's Serengeti -- places located nearly 5,000 kilometers from the West Africa Ebola outbreak area.

"Most people don't realize how vast Africa is and that East and southern Africa are just as far from the outbreak area as Europe or South America," says Vergeer.

"All safari countries have enacted strict precautionary measures and as there currently are no Ebola cases the risk of infection is effectively zero."

Jake McCormick, a safari specialist with Shadows of Africa, says the Ebola outbreak has caused a 70% decrease in inquiries at his company, which offers tours in Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Zanzibar.

"We are still working to try to convince clients they are safe from this disease, but until we see the outbreak come under control my feeling is that it will be a while until things return to normal," he says.

Joao Oliveira, founder of It Started in Africa, which organizes safaris and Kilimanjaro treks in Tanzania and Kenya, tells a similar story.