By LI Rujia
As China’s central government announced new measures for dealing with Covid-19 last week, many cities followed suit and announced relaxed Covid prevention rules. People traveling between cities or entering public venues are no longer required to show a negative PCR test. Home quarantine is suggested for mild and asymptomatic cases.
Searches for flight tickets and tourist attractions have surged. People are longing for traveling and long overdue family reunions. But those in the travel industry think true recovery may have to wait until spring.
On December 7, Beijing scrapped most requirements for people coming from other cities. Universal Studios Beijing reopened on the same day, with no PCR requirement, but tourists were still asked to show a green code to get in.
DING Mengyuan owns a B&B near the theme park. She said around 80 percent of guests were from outside Beijing until this year, when all orders came from locals, until this month. Her guests have been students or businessmen, not tourists.
She said as Christmas draws near, she has received few orders. Ding and her fellow B&B owners expect to see more tourists when the weather is warmer and more outdoor facilities are open.
In Shanghai, Disney has reopened. Cheng who runs a B&B nearby said all his rooms are booked for New Year. During lockdown, Cheng’s place was closed. Since September, orders have been about 20 percent of before the pandemic.
“I saw a huge bounceback in orders last year because people were eager to have some fun after a gloomy 2020,” Cheng said. “But I fear this time is different. They are worn out, mentally and financially.”
It is by far the worst December Cheng had. “I’m sure more visitors will come, but I don’t know if that can sustain us.”
EnjoyLand Resort was the first of its kind in central Henan Province to reopen.
“We received an overwhelming number of calls. We didn’t expect such a rapid response,” said WU Jiayan from the resort. More than 80,000 tickets have been sold, room bookings have doubled compared with last year.
EnjoyLand was closed for four months earlier this year. Wu said it needs time to organize and train staff. Despite the increased orders, she said it will take some time for the park, as well as the industry, to regain its strength.
