Full refunds offered to tourists booked into new COVID-19 risk areas

Tourism operators are offering full refunds or free booking changes for travelers to high- and medium-risk COVID-19 regions following a wave of new cases in some domestic cities.

Shanghai-based online travel operator Trip.com is offering full refunds or free adjustments on already paid accommodation at hotels in high- and medium-risk regions on dates through August 11.

Another major online travel operator, Tongcheng-Elong, is also offering a full refund or free date changes for tourists scheduled to stay at hotels in high- and medium-risk regions through August 11 and who want to cancel orders now.

The same policy applies to hotel bookings in Zhangjiajie City and Fenghuang County in Hunan Province through August 31, according to the travel operator.

All members of the audience who watched a show in the scenic area of Zhangjiajie on July 22 are urged to report to their local communities after four spectators tested positive for COVID-19, local authorities said on Wednesday.

The four people were confirmed as asymptomatic carriers when they returned to Dalian, northeastern Liaoning Province, after traveling in Zhangjiajie.