Tourists select accessories in the old town of Dali, southwest China's Yunnan Province, March 3, 2021. The charming night view of the old town of Dali attracts a lot of tourists. (Photo:Xinhua)
After Southwest China's Yunnan Province on Wednesday reported six local COVID-19 cases and three asymptomatic ones in the city of Ruili, several travel agencies said they have not seen huge impacts on local tourism before the upcoming Tomb Sweeping Day holidays.
China CYTS Tours told the Global Times on Wednesday the latest outbreak has had little impact so far and the agency has not seen requests for refunds for the time being. "The popular touristy cities in Yunnan are Kunming, Dali, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna and Tengchong, instead of Ruili," the agency said.
A sales person with China's online travel agency Trip.com Group told the Global Times Wednesday morning that the travel products in Yunnan Province are still on sale and available for booking.
"The location where the outbreak occurred is not close to the majority of tourists. If the risk level escalates, local tourists guide may adjust the routes to avoid any risks," she said.
"It is not expected that the new COVID-19 cases will have big influence on tourism. We received a lot of consulting about the tours in Ruili. There is no large refund request at present."
Another online travel service provider Qunar.com said it is uncertain to judge the impacts now as it depends on how the local government will change the flight polices.
The city of Ruili that borders Myanmar has ordered a one-week home quarantine for residents of the city's urban area due to new COVID-19 cases there. It also ordered mass COVID-19 tests for all residents and vowed to crack down on illegal border crossings.
The new cases were found before the Tomb Sweeping Day holidays from April 3 to 5, with many Chinese having prepared to take short trips during the holidays.
A Beijing-based tourist bound for Xishuangbanna told the Global Times on Wednesday that she will not change the plan at the moment.
"Our destination is far from Ruili. The hotel and tickets are already reserved and the costs are relatively high. But we will pay attention to the development of the epidemic and flexibly change our plan. If the epidemic spreads out of Ruili, we will consider returning home in advance."
