Alibaba rolls out credit-based Accommodation At Will program
>> Zhima Credit, Alibaba's credit scoring and loyalty program within the Alipay application, launched Suixinzhu (meaning Accommodation At Will in Chinese), a credit-based accommodation booking service, in partnership with eight hotel chains and accommodation providers. Eligible users with 600 credit points or more can search for the Suixinzhu offerings in Alipay and secure guest rooms with no prepayment. The users can enjoy special deals with 30%-50% off. Less than two weeks ago, online travel unit Fliggy launched the Fly At Will product that offers consumers airline service nationwide in attractive deals to restore confidence.
Fosun warns investors of 76% slide in earnings as coronavirus ravages tourism business
>> Fosun International, the owner of Club Med resort chain, has told investors to expect up to a 76% slide in earnings for the first six months this year as the coronavirus pandemic crushed its tourism-related business. The group is expected to generate RMB 1.8-2 billion (USD 257-285 million) of earnings in the first half, compared with RMB 7.61 billion in the same period in 2019.
Daily passenger flights in China rebound to 80% of pre-COVID levels
>> The number of daily passenger flights in China has rebounded to 80% of pre-coronavirus levels, according to China's aviation regulator, as the aviation industry recovers from the plunge in travel demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Daily passenger traffic was nearly 70% of the level seen last year, with load factors, a measure of how well airlines are filling available seats, averaging 73.57%.
Shanghai Disney tries to keep magic alive
>> Admission to Shanghai Disneyland is capped at about 16,000 visitors a day, or roughly 20% of its usual capacity, according to a report last month from Imperial Capital, which is maintaining its "underperform" rating on Disney stock. The USD 5.5 billion resort is one of the most strategic global investments made by Disney to capitalize on China's rising middle-income population. Shanghai Disneyland was ranked in the tenth place in the latest global theme park ranking report by TEA/AECOM with 11.2 million visitors last year.
3,200 pilots, crew at Cathay Pacific test all negative for Coronavirus
>> Cathay Pacific revealed that more than 3,200 pilots and cabin crew have undergone either mandatory or voluntary COVID-19 testing since April and not a single one has so far back come back positive for the coronavirus. The embattled Hong Kong-based airline said it felt compelled to react to local media reports that have suggested a resurgence of COVID-19 in the territory could be linked to air and maritime crew who are exempted from a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
Beijing Capital Airport to lose over $100 million in H1
>> China’s economy is on a recovery path, but the continuing pandemic is still likely to result in a loss at one of the country’s largest airport operators. Beijing Capital International Airport expects to lose between RMB 740-810 million (USD 106-116 million) in the first six months of 2020, the airport said in a statement.
Will summer vacation be a golden time for travel sector amid COVID-19?
>> The announcement to restart tran-provincial group tours has led to a surge in traffic to travel websites. According to Fliggy, Alibaba's online travel agency platform, more than 100,000 trans-provincial group tours, air tickets and accommodation reservations have been sold since. Unlike online agencies that sell flight tickets and hotel rooms independently, offline businesses depend a lot more on selling a package of products, including flights, hotels and other services, for each tour route. For safety reasons, many tourists are choosing to travel with family and friends in small groups rather than with strangers in large packs, which is what offline travel agencies mostly focus on.
Tours to Wuhan picking up after recovery from virus
>> Tourists from other parts of China have shown great interest in visiting Wuhan, Hubei province, since tour operators from other provinces have been allowed to resume organizing outings to help travelers discover the beauty of the city following its recovery from the novel coronavirus outbreak. On Saturday, buses carrying about 500 tourists from Henan province arrived at the Mulan grassland scenic site in Wuhan.
