Hong Kong will quarantine tourist arrivals from mainland China; at least two Asian airlines have asked their staff to take unpaid leave.
Indonesia decided on imposing China travel ban to prevent virus from spreading; Macao casinos to close for 2 weeks.
More than 25,000 flights to, from and within China will be canceled this week; online travel stocks fell as more countries limit travel to and from China.
The toll on travel and hospitality could be worse than during the SARS epidemic when Chinese travelers were a smaller group than they are today.
Airlines and major hotel chains are waiving cancellation fees, but recouping all the costs associated with trips canceled due to coronavirus fears is far from guaranteed.
For travel brands, offering thoughtful communications and assistance to both travelers and corporate partners at the time will be much appreciated.
At a time when the country is mobilizing medical teams nation-wide to fight the virus in Wuhan, China’s travel industry is also taking measures to participate in the fight.
OYO is firing thousands of staff across China and India; Six Flags is struggling with its planned parks in China and might scrap plans to complete them.
