Tour groups are urged to keep away from rural and remote areas in China, and large tour groups, cross-regional tours and tours to and from areas struck by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are prohibited, a tourism official said on Tuesday.
Travel agencies should focus on anti-SARS campaigns, instead ofpromoting tourism, from April 21 to May 31, the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) deputy-director Sun Gang told a press conference.
Sun said a national tourism and trade fair scheduled for early June in Hangzhou has also been postponed until next year.
According to Sun, the travel administration sent four inspection teams Monday to check the implementation of anti-SARS measures by travel agencies in Guangdong Province, Beijing, Guangxi Province and Shanxi Province.
Meanwhile, Sun encouraged travel agencies to take measures to minimize economic losses.
(Xinhua News Agency April 23, 2003)
