3. Tourism
Mickey and Minnie Mouse in the empty Shanghai Disneyland. Usually they would be greeting visitors for the Year of the Mouse celebrations, however everything was canceled. The theme park is currently closed. [Photo courtesy of Shanghai Disney Resort]
Nearly all the parks, theme parks and tourist spots were closed down, flights were canceled, and hotels remained empty except when being used to isolate patients. Back in 2003, a large number of small hotels were eliminated during the SARS epidemic and the same looks set to happen again. Meanwhile, four and five star hotels continue to have a high vacancy rate, which is producing enormous losses.
The tourism industry also missed the Spring Festival Golden Tourism Week, which is one of the most lucrative weeks for the industry alongside the Labor Day and National Day holidays. Many small and medium-sized businesses and tourist agencies have suffered heavy losses. As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads around the world, many countries are closing their borders, meaning overseas tourism will be hit further.
