(Fighting against New Coronary Pneumonia) Global war epidemic: Canada's tourism industry is "melted" by the epidemic industry The industry looks forward to returning to normal
China News Agency, Toronto, April 6 Question: Canada's tourism industry has been "blown" by the epidemic. The industry looks forward to returning to normal
China News Service reporter Yu Ruidong
"I didn't expect this to be so miserable this time." Cai Xueqi, president of the Canada-China Tourism Association, who has been in the tourism industry for 35 years, said in an interview with a reporter from China News Service that the new crown epidemic was "the most serious crisis" for the tourism industry.
The epidemic has made Canada's tourism industry almost “blown”. Cai Xueqi said that the average industry loses more than 90% of its business, and basically all it can do is to refund or change the ticket for customers.
Under normal circumstances, the United States and Canada are currently in the cruise tourism season. However, the recent incidents of concentrated cruise tourist infections have severely affected cruise cruises. Cai Xueqi believes that the recovery of cruise tourism within half a year is not optimistic.
As the general manager of Maya Travel Agency Toronto Branch, Cai Xueqi said that the company is free of handling fees for all refunds, so this is actually a job of rebates. Although he has tried his best to reduce expenses, he is worried that if the lockout is delayed for more than 3 months, there will be problems with the company's cash flow.
At Aoyi International, which focuses on high-end tourism reception, there were about 10 people in the office, but now only one person is left to handle refunds and changes. The company's general manager Han Wei said that vehicle services, conference reception and other businesses are "cold", and the company's overall revenue fell by about 75% compared with the same period last year. Many tour guides and drivers in the industry are in a dilemma without income.
Han Wei said that the local Chinese-run tourism industry has fallen in the past two years. After the fall of 2019, it turned into the off-season, but the epidemic has brought shocks to the entire industry. During January this year, Chinese tourism companies were greatly affected. At this stage, some travel companies run by Westerners are also forced to close.
Not to be spared is the famous attraction Niagara Falls. Janice Thomson, President and CEO of Niagara Falls Tourism Bureau, told reporters from China News Service that Great Falls Tourism can create over 2 billion Canadian dollars (about 10 billion yuan) in economic benefits each year and drive over 40,000 jobs. Almost overnight, the epidemic hit the local tourism industry unexpectedly. All bookings from the Asia-Europe market were suspended, and the gaming industry, some park areas, some hotels and attractions, and all restaurants were forced to close, the impact was "shocking."
The number of inbound visitors to Canada reached a record high of 22.1 million in 2019, setting a record for three consecutive years. Now, all national parks and most provincial parks are closed.
Tourism Canada and the Canadian Tourism Industry Association held a tourism webinar on April 1. Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages of Canada, who attended the seminar, introduced a series of support measures issued by the Canadian federal government for businesses and individuals totaling more than 100 billion Canadian dollars. She said that tourism is an economic barometer. Before this crisis came, no one was really prepared for it. The tourism industry needs to work together to overcome difficulties.
Many hotels and other major buildings in Niagara Falls have recently lit up heart-shaped lights to cheer people up after nightfall. Janice Thomson said that although it is impossible to predict when the epidemic will end, the local tourism industry is following the authorities' anti-epidemic measures and responding actively. She looks forward to and welcomes tourists from China and other overseas markets to return to this tourist destination as soon as possible.
Han Wei believes that the current relief measures of the Canadian government cover a wide range, but they are relatively broad, and there are no more targeted measures for the tourism industry. She predicts that Toronto's tourism industry will wait until June at the earliest before it can “get moving”. For the tourism industry, the actual "this year is almost over."
Cai Xueqi also believes that the Canadian government's measures are generally more powerful and considerate, but there is a "one size fits all" situation, hoping to have more special support for tourism and other "heavy disaster areas". He also looked forward to strengthening scientific research and developing vaccines at an early date while relying on means such as interest rate cuts and capital subsidies.
Han Wei said that he hopes that China-Canada relations will improve during the joint anti-epidemic process and the two sides will have more communication and exchanges. (Finish)