LESSER TOURISTS. Chinese Consul General Jia Li (left) speaks to the media in Cebu through an interpreter (right) in a press briefing at his office in Cebu City on Wednesday (Jan. 29, 2020). Jia said his office has noticed a decline in Chinese tourist arrival since the outbreak of the deadly 2019 novel coronavirus began in Wuhan City. (PNA photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY -- The Chinese Consulate General in Cebu on Wednesday said they have noticed a decline in tourist arrival among his fellow citizens since the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, China.
Jia Li said the Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued an advisory on Monday (Jan. 27) informing travel agencies in the mainland to cancel all group tours abroad.
Before the ban on travel outside the mainland, he said many Chinese have cancelled their trips starting on Saturday (Jan. 25) following the issuance of a policy advising their citizens “to stay home, avoid parties, gathering, and travel” in the light of the national emergency due to 2019-nCoV outbreak.
He said many Chinese canceled their hotel reservations and airline ticket bookings, even without minding the refund of their payment, stressing that they feel “health and their lives are more important than money.”
“It is the nature of the Chinese that during difficult times, they prefer to stay home and spend time with the family and take care of each other rather than going elsewhere,” Jia said in Chinese and relayed to the media through an interpreter.
Jia said Cebu has been one of the favorite destinations of Chinese tourists, noting that of the 1.3 million visitors from mainland China who visited the Philippines in 2018, around half or 630,000 went to this province.
He said the Chinese visit Cebu for its beaches, food, rich history and heritage, and the people.
“Last year, more than 700,000 came to Cebu,” he said.
Although the consular office in Cebu has been closed for seven days due to the Chinese New Year celebration, they have received news from the mainland about cancellations of hotel reservations and airline ticket bookings.
Jia also appealed to local government units (LGUs) in Cebu to think twice before making it a policy to ban Chinese tourists in their locality as part of the effort to prevent spread of 2019-nCoV.
He said there is no need to ban their nationals, stressing that their government has issued a policy prohibiting their citizens from traveling abroad.
“Many places around the world like US, Germany and Japan have confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV, but their governments have not issued advisory to ban Chinese nationals,” he pointed out.
He confirmed that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Peoples’ Republic of China has issued an “emergency notice” ordering “all national travel agencies and online travel companies to temporarily suspend business group travel and ticket and hotel products effective immediately.”
The consul general in Cebu encouraged local chief executives of LGUs to consult first with the Department of Health (DOH-7) before they decide on issuing measures prohibiting the entry of Chinese citizens to their locality.
Jia’s reaction came after Mayor Junard Chan of Lapu-Lapu City said in media interview that he is contemplating on temporarily banning the entry of Chinese tourists following reports of suspected cases of flu-like symptoms monitored by health authorities.
He quoted Mayor Edgardo Labella as saying that he would consult with the DOH-7 before issuing a ban on visitors from China.
Meanwhile, Jia commended the DOH-7 for “efficiently and professionally" handling the case of the five-year-old Chinese boy who was isolated in a hospital here but later on found negative of the 2019-nCoV.
“The family of the boy who are in China would not help but shed in tears when they heard the
news that he was tested negative of the new coronavirus strain,” he said, adding that he also called the press briefing to extend his gratitude to DOH-7.
He said the health authorities in Central Visayas are monitoring three suspected influenza cases but the result of the test has not been released yet.
With the collaboration of the Chinese government with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other nations in the effort to contain the virus, Jia said he is expecting normalcy will rule again in the mainland.
As the China government imposed a total lockdown in Wuhan City and in Hubei Province, Jia said WHO officials have commended the effort of quarantine and health authorities in containing the virus. (PNA)
