City gearing up for domestic travel
25/6/2003 16:58
Shanghai is expected to re-launch domestic travel by the end of the
month thanks to the World Health Organization's removal of Beijing from its list
of SARS-infected areas and lifting of its travel advisory for the Chinese
capital, the Labor Post reported today.
The WHO's decision was
enthusiastically hailed among local travel agencies.
"The news is a
catalyst for us to kick off the domestic and overseas travel market, with
domestic travel to start by the end of the month," said the spokesman with the
Shanghai Tourism Administrative Commission.
Several leading travel
agencies in the city held meetings yesterday after learning the good news
yesterday.
"We have made full preparations for the domestic tours, and we
will focus on organizing healthy, safe and leisurely tours for travelers, said
Zhang Xiuzhi, vice general manager with the Spring and Autumn International
Travel Services.
"Our first package tour will go to Hainan, where the air
quality is good, with soccer, sand-beach volleyball and fishing included in the
tour," Zhang said. "We decided to invite doctors to go with the tour, and ask
travelers to take helpings from platters and eat from separate plates when
dining," he added.
The Shanghai Dazhong International Travel Service Co
is considering opening its first package tour on June 28.
"Many people
call us to consult the timetables for domestic tours such as to Yangzhou and
Nanjing," said the spokesman with the Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center yesterday,
stressing that they are strengthening efforts to maintain and disinfect their
buses recently.
Overseas package tours to Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and
Malaysia are expected to start no earlier than mid and the end of July, said Gao
Hongjiu, general manager with the Jinjiang Tours Ltd.
The overseas travel
market is expected to boom in August, said an industry analyst.
Travel
agencies, hotels and airlines are joining hands to offer discounts to boost the
sluggish tourism market.
"It is more important to boost the market than
to turn a profit," said a senior official with a local travel
agency.
Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news
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