The city plans to revive local tourism sector in collaboration with 20 other Asian cities, said Yu Changjiang, director of the municipal bureau of tourism.

Tourism is among the industries most affected by the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in the city.

Most overseas tourist groups to Beijing scheduled for April and May were canceled, resulting in direct losses of US$152 million. In April, the city's foreign tourist arrivals dropped 59.9 percent compared with the same period last year.

Many tourist facilities have been closed in the city, and the remaining few are witnessing a drastic decline in the number of visitors.

It is imperative to improve the quality of local travel agencies and improve hygiene to ensure the health of tourists, the director said.

As soon as the World Health Organization lifts its travel advisory for Beijing, a number of measures to boost the city's tourism will be implemented, such as providing incentives to overseas travel agencies, inviting foreign journalists to tour Beijing and preparing for the Sixth Beijing International Tourism Culture Festival. The Republic of Korea and Japan are the major targets of tourism promotion plans.

(People's Daily June 2, 2003)