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 per cent decrease in sales for the regular routes. Compared to the same period last year, some individual routes even had more than a 70 per cent 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 per cent decrease in tourist applications from overseas compared to the same period last year.
The report also indicated that to promote the traditional Dragon Boat Festival, many travel agencies also explored other domestic travel routes, particularly those at nearby scenic sites.
CITS introduced several neighboring scenic sites and tours such as the Tasting Zongzi in Baiyangdian, the Dragon Boat Race, Treasure Hunt, and Driving Tour Lines. These tours are obviously quite popular with the general public. Within a week of the introduction of these tours, there were more than 400 reservations.
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.
It has been reported that during the Dragon Boat Festival airlines were offering discounts for outbound flights from Beijing. The Beijing to Sanya airline tickets were offered at a 70 per cent discount, and Beijing to Guilin at a 58 per cent discount for May 27. Overall, the outbound airfares from Beijing continue to be offered at discounts of 50 per cent.