Fear of Wuhan Pneumonia... "Over 1,000 Cancellations of China Trips in Two Days"

Expected Entry of 130,000 Chinese Visitors for Lunar New Year
Domestic Health Authorities on High Alert Before and After Seollal Holiday

On the 9th, employees of the National Quarantine Station of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency conducted thermal imaging body inspections on passengers arriving from China at the arrival hall of Terminal 1, Incheon International Airport. / Yeongjongdo - Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporters Heungsun Kim and Hyunui Cho] As the Chinese government partially closes Wuhan Tianhe International Airport amid escalating tensions, cancellations of travel to China by our citizens are also increasing. The novel coronavirus infection, known as 'Wuhan pneumonia,' is spreading uncontrollably, and it is expected that travel to China will suffer significant setbacks for the time being.

According to the travel industry on the 23rd, cases of our citizens giving up their plans to travel to China during the Lunar New Year holiday are rapidly increasing. A domestic travel agency official said, "There was no major disturbance just last week, but as the possibility of human-to-human transmission was mentioned and the issue kept appearing in real-time search terms on portal sites, over 1,000 people canceled their trips to China in just the past two days."

He added, "Although the main travel destinations such as Beijing and Shanghai are quite far from Wuhan, it seems that travelers' concerns have grown due to past experiences with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)."

Lee Seongcheol (37), who was preparing to travel to Zhangjiajie, China, said, "I booked a package tour including flights, accommodation, and sightseeing through a travel agency two months ago to travel with my parents. Although I had to pay over 400,000 won in cancellation fees, I decided to cancel with a heavy heart due to growing concerns about infection."

The travel industry estimates that 10,000 to 15,000 tourists visit China during the holiday period. Given the widespread atmosphere of Wuhan pneumonia, more cancellations of trips to China are expected. A travel agency official said, "There are still many who want to observe the spread of the disease more before making a decision," and added, "Considering the worsening situation, the government and related industries should prepare specific guidelines such as fee waivers for those canceling reservations."

A monitor installed at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport displays precautions for visiting areas related to the "Wuhan novel coronavirus pneumonia."
[Image source=Yonhap News]

With the Chinese Lunar New Year ('Chunje', the first day of the lunar calendar) approaching, a large number of Chinese tourists are expected to visit Korea, raising concerns about domestic confirmed cases. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization expect about 130,000 Chinese visitors during this Lunar New Year holiday. Entry is expected not only from Wuhan, the epicenter of the disease, but from all over China, and none are free from the fear of pneumonia.

As of the previous day, confirmed cases were reported as follows: 444 in Hubei Province (including Wuhan), 26 in Guangdong Province, 14 in Beijing, 10 in Zhejiang Province, 9 in Shanghai, and 44 in other regions. Similar to the 2015 MERS outbreak, a 'super spreader' who infects four or more people could emerge.

Park Hyekyung, head of the Crisis Response Bioterrorism Division at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "Except for some peripheral provinces and cities in China, patients continue to be reported, so the possibility of additional cases after the Lunar New Year holiday is very high," adding, "We have not received information from Chinese authorities about who the patients have infected."

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) is set to decide soon whether to declare an international public health emergency regarding Wuhan pneumonia. Such an emergency is declared only for the most serious infectious diseases. If declared, countries are advised to refrain from trade and travel with the affected country, and an international medical response system is established.