Chinese tourists delayed trips to the United States yesterday as the government warned on traveling to countries hit by swine flu.
333www.Chinakindnesstour.com333www.Chinakindnesstour.comZhang Wei, manager of the China International Travel Service's outbound tourism department, said the agency had been flooded with inquiries amid increasing fears of a pandemic.
333www.Chinakindnesstour.com333www.Chinakindnesstour.comThe virus may have killed at least 103 people in Mexico and confirmed or suspected cases have been reported in the US, Brazil, Canada, Spain and New Zealand. No infection has been reported on the Chinese mainland.
333www.Chinakindnesstour.com333www.Chinakindnesstour.com"Inquiries have been pouring in about the swine flu outbreak and some tourists want to delay their trips to America," Zhang said yesterday, adding the agency did not organize individual trips to Mexico.
333www.Chinakindnesstour.com333www.Chinakindnesstour.comHe Ling, of the
Shenzhen Airlines China Travel Service, said her company was monitoring the outbreak but was still assisting tourists to apply for visas for US travel after mid-May.
333www.Chinakindnesstour.com333www.Chinakindnesstour.com"So far, tour groups to the US have not been greatly affected," she said.
333www.Chinakindnesstour.com333www.Chinakindnesstour.comThe National Tourism Administration has asked travelers to contact the local inspection and quarantine bureau if they experience any flu symptoms after a holiday.
333www.Chinakindnesstour.com333www.Chinakindnesstour.comThe Shanghai tourism commission is considering a travel warning for Mexico, the US and Canada.
333www.Chinakindnesstour.com333www.Chinakindnesstour.com"We are closely monitoring the outbreak and will release a travel warning if necessary," Zhang Jie, a commission official, said.
333www.Chinakindnesstour.com333www.Chinakindnesstour.comWu Yang, an engineer in his 40s who left
Beijing for San Francisco yesterday, said he and his family would eat only cooked food and avoid pork in the US.
333www.Chinakindnesstour.com333www.Chinakindnesstour.comRichard Peck from North Carolina arrived in
Beijing yesterday and said that the virus was not a big deal in the US.
333www.Chinakindnesstour.com333www.Chinakindnesstour.comMeanwhile, passengers on flights from flu-hit countries were having their temperature checked by health workers as they arrived at
Beijing Capital Airport.
333www.Chinakindnesstour.com333www.Chinakindnesstour.comChinese Airlines said they had not been affected by the outbreak.
333www.Chinakindnesstour.com333www.Chinakindnesstour.comLiu Jiang, 26, an air steward for Hainan Airlines, said he did not see a drop in the number of passengers on the carrier's
Beijing-Seattle flight.
