Blazing new trails beyond the outbreak

The travel industry's recovery is gaining momentum through innovation and government support as warmer weather approaches.

Travel, catering and entertainment venues are among the businesses hit hardest by the novel coronavirus outbreak, consulting company Kantar reports. About three-quarters of surveyed travelers canceled their plans, and 17 percent cut back on spending.

China's tourism sector generated 513.9 billion yuan ($73.2 billion) during 2019's Spring Festival holiday, the China Tourism Academy reports.

The number plunged during the period this year.

Some small and medium-sized travel businesses have struggled to make ends meet and avoid capital-chain ruptures.

This has pushed them to explore off-the-beaten-path solutions.

People can use cloud computing to virtually view Shanghai's indoor flowers. The Forbidden City's courtyards can be experienced in 360 degrees online. And virtual visitors to the Beijing Zoo can listen to audio introductions about the animals.

Major online travel agency Ctrip has facilitated cloud tourism for over 3,000 attractions in 832 cities in 48 countries.

Baidu.com has launched around 300 online museums, while Travelgo.com has developed free virtual-reality promotions of destinations.

Cloud tourism has replaced on-site visits and ranks among the 10 most popular activities for youth stranded at home, according to Xiaohongshu, an Instagram-like Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform.

Travel agencies and homestay owners are promoting advanced bookings with significant discounts. Many have shifted to selling agricultural products using livestreaming and e-commerce platforms.

Companies have been embracing emerging business models while also preparing for the post-epidemic boom.

People have spent more time viewing travel logs, destination guides and travel livestreams during the outbreak.

China's tourism regulator has decided to return 80 percent of security deposits to registered agencies. Central tax authorities have also extended the maximum carryover period for their losses. And local authorities have adopted support in such areas as financing, payroll and credit.

Experts are optimistic about the post-epidemic recovery.

"There will be a strong rebound," Ctrip.com's executive chairman James Liang says, citing the post-SARS market.