Tuesday, April 30, 2013

China: May Day holiday and H7N9

April 29, 2013

The arrival of the H7N9 bird flu has affected China's tourism industry, with tourists shunning wetlands and farms while restaurants eliminate chicken and duck from their menus.
More than 120 human H7N9 infections, including 23 fatal cases, have been reported in China thus far, raising concerns about a possible lull in domestic tourism that occurred during the SARS epidemic a decade ago.
The three-day May Day holiday begins on April 29, with many urban Chinese travelling around the country for short trips.
Tour agencies in Shanghai said local "agritainment" farms have been hiding their fowl in order to quell concerns about the virus. H7N9 cases have been reported in the eastern city, as well as nearby provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui that are favored by holiday makers in Shanghai.
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According to a nationwide survey of tourist agencies conducted by Hongyuan Securities, group tour packages in east China that were hit hardest by the bird flu have not seen a drop in price, although wetland visits have been removed from the agencies' recommendation lists.
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http://en.apdnews.com/news/25348.html

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