After harsh winter, travel industry sees rays of hope
A travel group organized by Shanghai Spring Tour embarks on a journey to Songyuan City, in northeast China's Jilin Province, on Thursday afternoon from the Hongqiao Airport.
It's been a bitter winter indeed for China's tourism industry as the novel coronavirus outbreak delivered a heavy blow to operators and guides. Now signs of a long-awaited thaw are finally arriving.
"I see glimmers of hope," said Sun Qian, manager of a Trip.com outlet in Hongkou District, on Thursday. "I feel like our spring is coming."
Sun said her phone has been flooded with messages about tourism inquiries and orders since Tuesday.
"The rain and summer heat can't stop people from leaving home to make a journey," she said.
Meanwhile, Xu Mei, 30, a guide with Shanghai Spring Tour, embarked on a trip to Songyuan City, in northeast China's Jilin Province, on Thursday afternoon, leading a group of 24 tourists.
Inter-provincial group tours halted by the coronavirus were given a green light again after 172 days of suspension, based on a notice released by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Tuesday.
The green light also covers air tickets plus hotel packages from travel agencies and online travel operators.
Xu's group is Shanghai's first inter-provincial tour group organized since the resumption. The group is also supported by the launch of Spring Airlines' direct flight from Shanghai to Songyuan.
Members of the group, aged between 30 and 55, come from Shanghai and neighboring cities like Suzhou. Their trip will last three days and cover attractions such as the Chagan Lake scenic area.
The group queues at the Hongqiao airport to board their flight to Songyuan.
"I am too excited and happy and I packed my luggage on Wednesday afternoon immediately after receiving the assignment to lead the group to Songyuan," Xu told Shanghai Daily before departure at the Hongqiao airport.
She became a weishang, or online micro business owner, after the pandemic outbreak.
"It has been such a tough time for staff in the tourism industry. I sold fruit to support my family due to the cut in pay," she said. "I have dropped the temporary work and will lead tour groups again."
"This is my first visit to the airport since the coronavirus, and I have not guided any tour group for more than 170 days," said Xu, who has five years of guide experience. "The airport is bustling again and I can finally take on a journey."
Since January 24, when the pause button on domestic travel was pressed, many of Sun's colleagues became weishang or left the industry to find occupations in other fields, she said.
But Sun persevered without hesitation. She stuck to her job, which she started right after college graduation and concentrated on selling tourism products, not only because she intended to maintain her work quality, but also because of her confidence in China's tourism industry.
"I was always optimistic about our country's tourism, and I will not give up on it. I believe that we can get through this." The moment she received news that tours could resume, she said her heart was filled with joy.
"Some of my colleagues opened bottles of wine to celebrate! For us, it's like Spring Festival; full of happiness."
A customer makes an inquiry at a Trip.com outlet in Shanghai.
Signs of strong recovery and booming business in the tourism sector have already been noticed.
Just 10 seconds after its launch on Wednesday, Trip.com sold its first inter-province group tour product since the resumption.
A family of four booked a four-day tour to Qingdao, in east China's Shandong Province.
"Many group tours were sold out quickly after being launched, and most chose to travel within the coming week," said Peng Liang, an analyst with Trip.com. "The majority of travelers are families with students taking summer vacation and retirees."
"Those with outbound travel demand joined the domestic ones because of the suspension on outbound tourism for group tourists. We forecast a rapid increase of tourists to domestic destinations after the resumption," he said.
Bookings of admissions to tourist attractions on the website grew more than 20 percent on Wednesday because of the news. Increased searches for flight tickets and hotels were also seen.
Sanya, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Chengdu, and Chongqing are some of the most searched destinations among Shanghai tourists, according to Trip.com.
The mobile phone of Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of Shanghai Spring Tour, rang steadily with inquiries and orders on Thursday.
Two tourists in their 60s booked a 11-day tour to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
"Most group tourists are picking long-distance tour itineraries, which is no surprise for us because travel enthusiasm has been ignited by the news," she told Shanghai Daily.
"Historical destinations like Dunhuang and Xi'an are some of the most popular among families with children, and summer resorts like Jilin are also favored by Shanghai tourists," she said.
"We encourage tourists to form small groups between six to 10 with their families members or friends," said Zhou.
"Some white-collar workers have also purchased products as tourist attractions are not crowded now, creating a pleasant and safe travel experiences," she said.
At the People's Square outlet of Shanghai Spring Tour, consumers kept coming, in sharp contrast to the recent silence.
Yang Ming, a local retiree, visited the outlet with his wife for consultation.
"I have a group of friends of the same age who also love to travel, and we have traveled together to many cities," he said. "We were forced to cancel all our travel plans because of the coronavirus."
The couple applied for a 10-day trip to Xi'an and Mount Huashan at the store.
"I'm very happy as I want to visit more places while I still can," he told Shanghai Daily. "I don't want to leave any regrets."
On the other side of the outlet, Lynn Li, who works in the education industry, was inquiring along with her daughter about a route to Dali, in southwest China's Yunnan Province.
She had planned to take her daughter to Singapore over the summer holiday, but the plan fell through due to the pandemic outbreak. Thanks to the resumption, they now have the opportunity to step out again.
"I have my personal requirements for the quality of trips, so I will pick an exquisite tour group," she said.
"Adequate hygiene preparation is the priority," she added.
