Since the outbreak of the H1N1 flu virus, China’s tourism industry has been hit hard. Many people with international travel plans during the annual Dragon Boat Festival season appear to have delayed their trips. Travel agencies are experiencing massive cancellations of tours.
The China News Agency reported that according to CITS (China International Travel Service), since the H1N1 flu virus outbreak, the majority of travel reservations to Europe, America, and Japan have been cancelled. There has been more than a 50% decrease in sales for the regular routes. Compared to the same period last year, some individual routes even had more than a 70% decline in business.
Since the H1N1 flu cases were confirmed in China, some countries issued warnings to tourists who planned to travel to China. As a result, travel to China has also been affected. In early May, the CITS recorded a 50 to 70%decrease in tourist applications from overseas compared to the same period last year.
Epoch Times reports that a correspondent of CITS indicated that the tourism market is still popular, though it is somewhat suppressed due to people’s fear of the flu outbreak. To meet the market demand, CITS will continue to promote neighboring scenic sites, eco-tours, holiday vacation packages, and so forth to entice city dwellers to experience nature while also staying away from the flu.