The spread of the Wuhan Novel Coronavirus and resulting tough measures taken by the Chinese government to stem the outbreak – locking down Hubei province where Wuhan is the capital city and suspending the sale of tours, flights and accommodation – are impacting tourism businesses elsewhere in Asia.

The Philippines
Philippine tourism players have been inundated by travel cancellations from China as flights from Wuhan are temporarily banned.

Boracay is particularly impacted, noted Queenspoint Travel and Tours Corp. president, Marlene Dado Jante, who explained that the Chinese government’s ban on the eight weekly charter flights from Wuhan to Kalibo – the gateway to Boracay – meant cancellations of other flights, hotels and tours, as well as numerous requests for refunds.

Yesterday, two Manila-based travel agencies said they were busy coping with “lots of travel cancellations” not just from Wuhan but also from other points in China.

While the outbreak of the new strain of coronavirus is a force majeure, travel wholesalers are uncertain if they can get refunds from airlines, hotels and resorts, and tour operators particularly as most Chinese travellers are big groups on charter flights.

The situation that is unfolding has a “domino effect”, warned Angel Ramos Bognot, managing director of Afro Asian Travel and Tours, as China is the Philippines’ second biggest tourism source market and the second biggest generator of tourism receipts after South Korea.

The damage to tourism business extends to Philippine outbound to China and Hong Kong, said Jante, who noted that some groups are considering axing their trip to Hong Kong following the closure of Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park Hong Kong as well as the train route connecting Hong Kong with southern China.

There are calls from some industry quarters to impose a temporary ban on all tourists from China, which Bognot supports for everyone’s safety.

Joey Bondoc, senior manager research with Colliers International Philippines, predicts that a full ban imposed on Chinese outbound by the Chinese government will hit Philippine tourism hard, plunging Chinese arrival numbers to the Philippines and bringing about an impact more immediate than that of Taal Volcano’s eruption.

Bondoc said: “If China further tightens control on outbound travel, it will have a multiplier impact on the economy.”

He said retail and gaming will be affected, and for the latter staffing will be an issue as Chinese employees coming to Manila will be restricted.

Bondoc recalled that during the SARS outbreak, Chinese arrivals into the Philippines dropped 9.64 per cent to 1.8 million in 2001 from 1.992 million in 2000. – Reporting by Rosa Ocampo

Malaysia
As Malaysian inbound tourism players reel from about 80 per cent cancellations of groups and FITs from China, as of January 28, private sector players have come together to form a special committee to look into the impact of the Novel Coronavirus outbreak on tourism business in the country.

The Tourism Recovery Action Committee will be coordinated by Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA) president, Uzaidi Udanis, along with representatives from airlines, hotels and tour operators. The move was agreed upon at a meeting on January 28 chaired by Tourism, Arts and Culture minister, Mohammadin Ketapi at his office on Tuesday morning.

Also present at the meeting were the Health Minister, Dzulkefly Ahmad and the deputy minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik, as well as industry players representing airlines, hotels and tour operators involved in the China inbound market.

Uzaidi told TTG Asia that the first priority of the committee was to look at ways to minimise the negative impact of the outbreak on the tourism industry. He said: “We have to come out with a plan to propose to the government on how to assist tourism players. It could be a campaign to revitalise the domestic market to make up for the sudden shortfall of Chinese tourists.

“The committee will also coordinate with individual hotels to speed up the refund process to tour operators who have made prepayments for rooms ahead of the Chinese New Year period and were affected when the Chinese government gave its directive to cancel inbound and outbound tour groups amid the Novel Coronavirus outbreak.”

Describing the extent of the damage to tourism business in Malaysia caused by the flu outbreak, Uzaidi said: “Today (January 28) we should have received 500 tour buses from (Singapore’s) Changi Airport to Johor (the Southern Malaysian state across the border from Singapore), but there were only 30 buses. Based on information from MITA members involved in the China inbound market, from February 1 onwards, there will be zero groups from China. As of today, MITA has received about 80 per cent cancellations of groups and FITs from China.”

Yap Lip Seng, CEO of Malaysian Association of Hotels, shared that hotels in Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu are anticipating a 30 to 60 per cent drop in occupancy up to end February, while hotels in Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Port Dickson, Melaka and Penang were looking at a 10 to 50 per cent drop in occupancy up to end February.

Uzaidi stressed: “This outbreak has resulted in a big loss to hoteliers, tour operators, tour buses, restaurants and souvenir shops. I believe that even during this downtime, we have to prepare for good times ahead and start planning our destination promotions from now. This is also an area that the committee will be looking at.”

Malaysia moved to suspend all visa facilities for Chinese tourists from Wuhan and Hubei as part of measures to combat the outbreak on January 27. The visa facilities will be reinstated once conditions return to normal. – S Puvaneswary

The Maldives
Incoming Chinese tour groups have ground to a halt for the Maldives, revealed Thoyyib Mohamed, managing director of the Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation, the government’s tourism agency, as travel restrictions by the Chinese government are imposed on Chinese cities infected with the Novel Coronavirus.

Shafraz Fazley, managing director of Viluxur Holidays, told TTG Asia that he has had some bookings postponed for up to six months.

“Some Chinese visitors wanted to cancel (their trip) but hotels in the Maldives did not allow that, permitting postponements instead. Since payment was made upfront with the bookings, they had no option but to postpone their visits,” he said.

Abdul Karam, who owns a small hotel in the Maldives, said two Chinese groups have cancelled visits because they were unable to leave China.

China was the Maldives largest source market in 2019, accounting for 284,029 arrivals out of a total of 1.7 million arrivals. – Reporting by Feizal Samath

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, which saw a 37 per cent drop in Chinese arrivals to 167,863 in 2019 due to negative publicity in the aftermath of the Easter terror attacks, is suffering yet another setback in the China market – this time by the flu bug which has led to 600 to 700 cancellations from China on January 28, according to Mahen Kariyawasam, president of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Travel Agents.

The country reported its first confirmed Novel Coronavirus case on Monday night (January 27) – a 47-year-old female Chinese national from Hubei Province, China. She has been admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Colombo.

Immediately after, the government suspended the issue of on-arrival visas to Chinese visitors. – Reporting by Feizal Samath

Singapore
With the number of confirmed Novel Coronavirus cases in Singapore currently standing at seven, travel players in the country are adopting a cautious approach and introducing precautionary measures.

This is a crucial measure for the country, which received almost 4.23 million visitor arrivals from Mainland China from January to November 2019. The market accounts for the largest portion of inbound travellers for Singapore.

To stem the spread of the virus, hotels in Singapore are stepping up internal measures for both guests and staff. For instance, Accor has instructed all of its properties to implement additional hygiene procedures, including cleaning and disinfection, and taught them how to identify and manage any suspected cases.

The group has also permitted guests from China to cancel a prepaid or guaranteed booking made for the period between now and February 29, 2020, at any Accor hotel globally.

With the well-being of staff and guests in mind, Royal Plaza on Scotts has implemented 14 days of compulsory paid leave of absence for employees returning from China and established temperature screening at the entrance. Sanitisers and masks have been made available for employees and guests since last week.

Patrick Fiat, general manager of Royal Plaza on Scotts, told TTG Asia that more than 900 room nights have been cancelled due to the virus outbreak, and more cancellations are expected to surface in February.

Currently, the hotel is waiving cancellation charges for guests from China till end of February.

Similarly, resort destination Sentosa is adopting “enhanced precautionary measures”, said a spokesperson of the island’s operator, Sentosa Development Corporation. These measures include increasing the frequency of cleaning at common areas and putting up advisories for guests around the island.

The spokesperson continued: “We are also in close communication with our stakeholders, such as Island Partners (tenants) and staff, to ensure that they are aware of the latest developments and are ready to provide assistance to guests who may appear unwell.

“While we expect some businesses on the island to be affected, it is premature to determine the full extent of the impact at this stage.”

Other companies in Singapore are also keeping their heads up, as travel business continues to stream in. Jane Goh, director of Xperience Singapore, said: “Travel to Singapore and throughout the world will be affected, but we have not had concerned (guests) yet.” – Reporting by Pamela Chow and Karen Yue

Cambodia
On January 27, Cambodian authorities confirmed the first case of Novel Coronavirus in Sihanoukville. The 60-year-old man had returned with three family members from Wuhan on January 23.

Despite the virus entering Cambodia, this week all 25 daily flights to and from China continue. However, airport authorities report an increasing drop in passengers from short-haul destinations – especially China, the country’s largest source market.

Steve Lidgey, general manager at Travel Asia a la Carte, said huge panic has broken out across the country, which will impact travel.

He said: “There is a lot of scaremongering and fake news circulating in Cambodia. This only has a negative effect on travel to the destination. There seems to be a social media frenzy which only scares both domestic and international travellers. Following WHO and governmental directives, we can say Cambodia is open for business as usual.” – Reporting by Marissa Carruthers

Vietnam
Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has asked tour companies to cancel trips to and from destinations infected with the Novel Coronavirus, as the country confirms two cases – a father and son from Wuhan who are being treated in Ho Chi Minh City now.

On January 22, Vinpearl and Vinpearl Land Nha Trang imposed a series of measures, including installing antiseptic hygiene points across Hon Tre Island, at the onset of the flu outbreak beyond China. Visitors are provided with health information and medical staff are on hand to lend assistance.

Linh Le, principal and co-founder of Luxperia, said the flu outbreak has already tourism business. “Hotels and tour operators have suffered last-minute cancellations, without prepayment. Unfortunately, the perception of potential risk and exposure to the virus will affect the advance planning from long-haul travellers to the entire of South-East Asia; a greater risk in my opinion.” – Reporting by Marissa Carruthers

Myanmar
Despite there being no reported cases to date in Myanmar, The Union of Myanmar Travel Association has reported cancellations of between 10 and 20 per cent.

Khiri Travel Myanmar has received a few postponements, but bookings are still coming in.

Melissa Tan, general manager of the agency, also added that there have been groups originally bound for China being re-routed to Myanmar.

China Eastern Airlines has suspended all flights between Myanmar and Wuhan until February 29, 2020. – Reporting by Marissa Carruthers

Thailand
With 14 confirmed Novel Coronavirus cases, the second-most of any country outside of China, Thailand has started conducting checks on all people crossing over the land border from Cambodia into Thailand, as well as ramped up its screening efforts at major airports.

Infrared thermo scans at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Krabi International Airport operate round-the-clock to screen all passengers, especially those arriving from Chinese cities.

As of today, mobile medical units from the army, navy and air force have been deployed to all 10 international airports to assist public health officials with the screening efforts.

Thailand’s health ministry has also issued a travel advisory for its citizens.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s inbound tour operators are bearing the brunt of the flu fallout. As one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists, Thailand’s tourism industry is facing a double whammy due to the Chinese government’s ban on group travel and change of travel plans by other travellers who fear exposure to the virus.

Nattapong Saengsirirattana, managing director of Thai Leisure, shared with TTG Asia that the company has seen a deluge of cancellations for their February-April bookings, especially those from Singapore, with incentive and student groups forming the bulk of it.

“The majority of inbound clients we have on hand at the moment are Singaporean incentive groups. At the moment, it looks like those who haven’t cancelled will postpone their trips. Some have already postponed, and we’re waiting to hear from the rest if they will also do so,” Nattapong said.

“These are companies that already had everything planned out – flights and accommodation – then the virus hit, and they can’t afford to take the risk, also due to their own company policies.”

European inbound markets appear to be the least impacted. “We had only one group from Russia that cancelled due to some small concerns regarding the outbreak. Our clients are mostly from Europe, and they’re not cancelling,” said Christian Stoeckli, general manager of Diethelm Travel Thailand.

Dave Chang, managing director of Asia Mice Planner, echoed similar findings. “I haven’t had any cancellations yet because our clients are world travellers – we have bookings in many countries – and none of them are from China. I believe the bigger impact is on those DMCs which are only focused on China inbound and outbound.” – Reporting by Anne Somanas

Japan
Japan has stepped up measures to halt the spread of Novel Coronavirus following a confirmed infection of a man in his 60s, who although did not travel to China recently, had driven buses in Nara Prefecture twice this month for tour groups from China’s Wuhan City, the epicentre of the outbreak.

Before the government-imposed lockdown of Wuhan, Japan was the second-most popular international destination for people from the Chinese city, coming only after Thailand.

Even with restricted travel from the epicentre, Japan continues to be on high alert, especially during the ongoing Chinese New Year holidays when an estimated 800,000 Chinese tourists are expected to arrive in Japan.

Japan is the most popular destination for the estimated seven million Chinese tourists who will travel abroad during the holidays, according to the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute.

Across Japan, stricter screenings and inspection measures of passengers are in place at airports and seaports, while airlines are distributing health declarations urging passengers arriving from China to report if they are feeling unwell. Japan Airlines has even introduced measures onboard aircraft arriving in Japan from other parts of Asia.

In the tourism sector, hotels, theme parks, restaurants and department stores are boosting their hygiene practices.

Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea and Universal Studios Japan in Osaka have placed alcohol-based disinfectants at restrooms for staff and visitors, while Tokyo Metropolitan Government is providing disinfectant at Toyosu fish market, another popular tourist site. Hotels are disinfecting elevator buttons and door handles. – Reporting by Kathryn Wortley

Indonesia
Indonesia has so far been spared from the Novel Coronavirus outbreak, but the government is taking no chances.

The Transportation Ministry has issued an order for Indonesian airlines to suspend flights to and from Wuhan to prevent the virus from reaching their shores, and airlines such as Lion Air and AirAsia have obeyed the order.

But with the Chinese government’s closure of Wuhan transportation, Chinese inbound groups to Indonesia have been affected.

Khairul Gumay, owner of South Tangerang-based Safa Tour, which is traditionally reliant on the Chinese market, told TTG Asia that he is estimating a 600 million rupiah loss as three inbound Chinese tour groups – including a small group of 10 people and a big group of 50 – were unable to fly to Indonesia following the closure of the Wuhan airport. His Chinese clients had declined to reschedule their travel plans, he added.

Wishnutama Kusbandio, minister of tourism, said that the government is not banning Chinese tourists from entering Indonesia, with the exception of those coming from Hubei, including its capital Wuhan.

Wishnutama urged travel agents to keep monitoring the situation and to follow the government’s advice regarding selling outbound packages to China and attracting Chinese travellers to Indonesia.

I Wayan Koster, governor of Bali, has issued a circular exhorting hotel and accommodation players in Bali to not impose cancellation fees for travel agents or Chinese travellers who have made cancellations as the outbreak can be categorised as force majeure.

The governor also asked that downpayment made to hotels to not be forfeited so that Chinese travellers could use it for their upcoming trips.

As a gesture of empathy in light of recent conditions in China, the Bali Kintamani Festival, which was originally slated to be held on February 8, has also been postponed by the Bali governor. – Reporting by Kurniawan Ulung