China to tighten management of tourist spots to control virus
China Daily
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A worker holds a board warning visitors not to gather in groups at the Summer Palace in Beijing, March 22, 2020. (Photo: China Daily)

The central government will tighten up management of domestic tourism attractions to ensure orderly travel, improving the prevention and control work for COVID-19, according to a newly released notice on Monday.

The notice, jointly issued by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and National Health Commission, read that attractions will only open outdoor areas, with indoor venues temporarily closed amid the epidemic.

Also, attractions are allowed to receive 30 percent of their maximum visitor capacity. Paid scenic spots are required to evaluate the results before launching preferential policies for tickets and entertainment programs.

According to the notice, attractions should strengthen management over population flow to prevent mass gatherings. Travelers are required to make reservations and encouraged to visit scenic spots in different time periods.

The notice said that all levels of culture and tourism departments and attractions should also better control traffic to limit the number of travelers. Attractions can organize their staff members to check body temperatures and help register information of travelers at attractions' entrances, exits and areas where people may gather together.

Promotion is also of great importance, which can help visitors enhance their awareness of prevention against the coronavirus and behave in a civilized manner amid the epidemic.

The tourism industry, hit hard due to COVID-19, has been in a slow recovery because of preferential policies given by governments and travel agencies, as well as people's growing desire for travel after being quarantined for the last two months.

However, the increasing number of travelers has brought greater pressure to local governments and attractions in the control and prevention work against the coronavirus.

Earlier during the Tomb-Sweeping Day holiday, the surging number of visitors to Huangshan Mountain in Anhui province made the attraction temporarily close because the number of travelers reached its limit of 20,000 during the day.