Chinese cancel US tour plans in flu fear

By Wang Qian in Beijing, Wang Hongyi in Shanghai and Chen Hong in Shenzhen (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-28 08:39

Chinese tourists delayed trips to the United States Monday as the government warned on traveling to countries hit by swine flu.

Zhang Wei, manager of the China International Travel Service's outbound tourism department, said the agency had been flooded with inquiries amid increasing fears of a pandemic.

The virus may have killed at least 103 people in Mexico and confirmed or suspected cases have been reported in the US, Brazil, Canada, Spain and New Zealand. No infection has been reported on the Chinese mainland.

"Inquiries have been pouring in about the swine flu outbreak and some tourists want to delay their trips to America," Zhang said Monday, adding the agency did not organize individual trips to Mexico.

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He Ling, of the Shenzhen Airlines China Travel Service, said her company was monitoring the outbreak but was still assisting tourists to apply for visas for US travel after mid-May.

"So far, tour groups to the US have not been greatly affected," she said.

The National Tourism Administration has asked travelers to contact the local inspection and quarantine bureau if they experience any flu symptoms after a holiday.

The Shanghai tourism commission is considering a travel warning for Mexico, the US and Canada.

"We are closely monitoring the outbreak and will release a travel warning if necessary," Zhang Jie, a commission official, said.

Wu Yang, an engineer in his 40s who left Beijing for San Francisco Monday, said he and his family would eat only cooked food and avoid pork in the US.

Richard Peck from North Carolina arrived in Beijing Monday and said that the virus was not a big deal in the US.

Meanwhile, passengers on flights from flu-hit countries were having their temperature checked by health workers as they arrived at Beijing Capital Airport.

Chinese Airlines said they had not been affected by the outbreak.

Liu Jiang, 26, an air steward for Hainan Airlines, said he did not see a drop in the number of passengers on the carrier's Beijing-Seattle flight.