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A30 world news
Diabierna 2 OctOber 2020

Virus has Chinese tourists heading for domestic destinations

That's a sentiment shared by and airline reservations are
many Chinese who can af- on a par with 2019, helped
ford to fly overseas for holi- by discounts for hotels and
days but now are barred by flights, according to data
flight cancelations and quar- from Fliggy, Alibaba's online
antine restrictions. Thailand, travel arm.
one of the most popular
destinations among Chinese Zeng Xiaoqi, a 24-year-old
travellers, closed its airports nurse from central China’s
to international commercial Hunan province, planned a
flights in April and has yet to trip to Beijing for the holi-
fully reopen to tourism. So days to celebrate her moth-
instead, Chinese visitors will er’s 50th birthday.
be crowding into popular at- “Before I left, I took the nu-
tractions, such as the Disney- cleic acid test in my home-
land resort in Shanghai and town and called the tourist
the research base for panda sites I wanted to go to ask if
breeding in the southwestern the site is open during the
city of Chengdu, Ctrip's re- holiday week, and how tick-
port said. China is one of the ets could be booked,” said
few countries in the world Zeng. “I didn’t depart until
where millions are freely all the preparation was done.”
touring around the country, She said that she was not wor-
while most countries are dis- ried about traveling within
(AP) — Millions of Chinese er China’s tourism industry island in South Korea this couraging unnecessary travel China, as most areas are cur-
tourists usually spend their can bounce back following year, but eventually decid- as they battle coronavirus rently fairly low-risk when it
weeklong National Day holi- the battering it took earlier ed to instead visit cities like outbreaks. comes to the coronavirus.
days traveling abroad. in the year. Travel within the Chengdu, known for being China has reported no new
country, and sometimes even the home of pandas, as well locally-transmitted coronavi- Nonetheless, as a precau-
This year, travel restrictions within cities, was restricted as scenic Guilin, famed for its rus infections since Aug. 16, tion, Zeng said she was well-
due to the coronavirus pan- beginning with the Lunar karst limestone hills. and the country's culture and equipped with masks, hand
demic mean that some 600 New Year as China fought “To take a trip abroad, you tourism ministry last month sanitizer, and wet tissue for
million tourists — about 40% the spread of the coronavirus will be quarantined for half a eased restrictions on tourist the flight and high speed
of the population — will trav- that emerged in the central month when you arrive, and sites, allowing them to oper- train to Beijing.
el within China during the city of Wuhan and has sick- when you return, it’s another ate at 75% capacity. Visitors Railway authorities said they
holiday that began Thursday, ened more than 34 million half a month of quarantine,” also are encouraged to obey expect 108 million train jour-
according to Ctrip, China’s people, killing over a million. Zhao said. social-distancing rules during neys to be made between
largest online travel agency. The weeklong holiday in Oc- their travels. Monday, Sept. 28 and Oct.
That’s still down 25% from tober is typically the busiest “One month is gone with The number of tourists at top 8, or an average of almost 10
last year, when tourists took time for domestic travel. you doing nothing at all. “ attractions across the country million per day. Overall, train
782 million domestic trips With the world’s biggest- Cao Ke, a science researcher jumped nearly 159% in the and airline passenger num-
and generated tourism rev- spending tourists spending based in Shanghai, usually second quarter of the year bers are still forecast to be
enue of 650 billion yuan their money travelling do- would spend his National compared to the previous lower than in previous years
($95.4 billion), according to mestically, local governments Day holiday relaxing at the quarter, at the height of pan- amid concerns that restric-
government data. The dip are offering discounts and beaches in Thailand’s Phuket demic shutdowns. tions could be re-imposed if
comes as some in China re- subsidies to tourists, includ- island. This year he's heading The number of tourists vis- new cases are detected.
main wary of the coronavi- ing free or heavily discounted to the southern coastal prov- iting resorts and engaging Like many other Chinese,
rus and opt not to join the tickets to attractions. ince of Fujian in China, hop- in rural tourism in July and Zhao plans to stick to do-
holiday rush. The country's ing to take some nice photos. August was about 90% of last mestic trips for the next few
borders remain closed to in- Zhao Kerui, a designer with “I usually prefer traveling year's level, Shan Gangxin, months.
ternational visitors. a flexible working sched- abroad, because there are too an official with China's min- “To be honest, it's the same
ule, often takes several trips many people traveling do- istry of culture and tourism, whether I travel abroad or
The eight-day holiday this abroad each year. Last year, mestically, and accommoda- told reporters in Beijing this around China,” he said. “I do
year, which coincides with he visited Malaysia and Ja- tion and meals become very week. it to relax.”
the Mid-Autumn Festival, pan. He had planned to visit expensive,” said Cao. Hotel bookings are 50%
will be a litmus test of wheth- Istanbul in Turkey or to Jeju higher compared to last year,

Hong Kong police arrest 60 for protesting on China holiday

(AP) — Hong Kong police arrested ping district, some people chanting cial distancing restrictions due to the well as collusion with foreign pow-
at least 60 people on suspicion of “Disband the police” and “Liberate coronavirus. In the afternoon, police ers to interfere in the city's internal
unauthorized assembly on China’s Hong Kong, Revolution of our time," cordoned off some areas in the district affairs. The U.S. and Britain accuse
National Day holiday Thursday af- a popular pro-democracy slogan that and searched people on the streets. China of infringing on the city’s
ter crowds gathered on the streets of has been banned by the Hong Kong On several occasions, they unfurled freedoms, and the U.S. has imposed
a popular shopping district chanting government for alleged secessionist warning banners that urged protest- sanctions on government officials in
pro-democracy slogans. sentiments. ers to disperse, saying they were par- Hong Kong and China over the law.
ticipating in an illegal assembly. At a National Day reception, Hong
Those arrested included two district A heavy police presence outnum- Kong leader Carrie Lam said “stabil-
councilors, police said in a statement bered the protesters at the scene. Protests against the Hong Kong and ity has been restored to society while
posted on Facebook. They said the National Day, which celebrates the mainland Chinese governments national security has been safeguard-
people were arrested after they ig- founding of the People's Republic of swelled last year, and Beijing clamped ed” under the new law.
nored repeated warnings asking them China, has become a day of protest down on expressions of anti-govern- Lam also accused some foreign gov-
to disperse. in Hong Kong by those who oppose ment sentiment in the city with a new ernments of holding “double stan-
Online calls urged people to join Beijing's increasing control over the national security law that took effect dards” and leveling unjustified ac-
protests, and crowds turned up at semi-autonomous city. Large-scale June 30. The law outlaws subversive, cusations against the authorities who
Hong Kong's Causeway Bay shop- protests are forbidden because of so- secessionist, and terrorist activity, as implement the new law.