Hubei's tourism resumes, cautiously

"The internet offers new opportunities to popularize museum culture, and we should continue to use this approach."

Chinese travel agencies' interprovincial and outbound services remain suspended. CTG Travel resumed its business in Hubei on April 26.

Its packages offering attraction tickets and accommodation are popular among travelers who drive themselves.

The company also organizes small-group tours. Buses are regularly disinfected, and at least half of seats are required to be unoccupied.

Wuhan's authorities initiated ongoing testing of all residents after new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed, raising concerns over its tourism recovery.

"The new cases will affect Wuhan's tourism and interprovincial travel in the short term. But over the long term, the influence will ebb as confidence in the market is gradually restored," says Yan Qi, who's in charge of CTG Travel's business in Wuhan.

China Tourism Academy associate research fellow Zhan Dongmei says Hubei's tourism industry, especially Wuhan's, is recovering at a slower pace than its counterparts.

But she's confident it'll catch up over time.

"Chinese, and especially people from Hubei (now), tend to postpone their travel plans because of safety concerns," she says.

"The epidemic may have influenced their psychology. Tourism players should be patient and prepare for the recovery during this period in such ways as developing products that appeal to visitors."