Asian businesses suffer Lunar New Year blues over travel curbs
From a skyway operator in Australia to a tourist guide on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali and a lion dance troupe in Malaysia, Asia’s travel industry is hurting as coronavirus curbs keep most people home for the Lunar New Year.
The celebration, which begins on Friday, usually triggers the largest annual migration as people reunite with loved ones or go on holiday, but this year government curbs are spoiling plans, even as many nations roll out vaccines.
“In the last 10 months, there’s been no income, because there are no visitors,” said Bali tour guide Effendy, wearing traditional red headgear and batik-print sarong, as he stood in a deserted 60-hectare (148-acre) park.
Asian businesses suffer Lunar New Year blues over travel curbs
02/11/2021 6:39
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - From a skyway operator in Australia to a tourist guide on Indonesia s resort island of Bali and a lion dance troupe in Malaysia, Asia s travel industry is hurting as coronavirus curbs keep most people home for the Lunar New Year.
The celebration, which begins on Friday, usually triggers the largest annual migration as people reunite with loved ones or go on holiday, but this year government curbs are spoiling plans, even as many nations roll out vaccines. In the last 10 months, there s been no income, because there are no visitors, said Bali tour guide Effendy, wearing traditional red headgear and batik-print sarong, as he stood in a deserted 60-hectare (148-acre) park.
From a skyway operator in Australia to a tourist guide on Indonesia's resort island of Bali and a lion dance troupe in Malaysia, Asia's travel industry is hurting as coronavirus curbs keep most people home for the Lunar New Year.
Eerie footage has emerged showing the normally bustling NSW Blue Mountains region devoid of tourists during one of the busiest times of the year as Covid-19 border closures keep visitors locked-out.
Asian tourists usually flock to the area during the Lunar New Year but tourist sites are virtually empty and tour operators are counting the cost of visitor numbers plummeting by 600,000.
Cableway operator Scenic World, which has the world s steepest railway and glass-floored skyway carriages, would normally be welcoming thousands of visitors who have chosen Australia to ring in the new year - but not this year.
Scenic World s CEO Anthea Hammon (pictured) said the tour operator would normally see thousands of tourists during the Lunar New Year period but Covid-19 border closures have left cableway carriages virtually empty