MORE than 80,000 tourists are stranded in a resort city popularly known as “China’s Hawaii” after a Covid-19 flare-up led authorities to impose strict travel restrictions.
Sanya is a city of more than a million people on the southern island of Hainan, where 483 Covid cases were reported yesterday.
All flights out of the city were cancelled over the weekend, with train ticket sales also suspended.
Tourists who want to leave must test negative in five PCR tests over seven days, health authorities said.
Hotels in the city have been asked to offer guests a 50% discount until travel restrictions ease, an official told reporters on Saturday.
China is the only major economy still holding fast to a zero-Covid strategy with snap lockdowns and quarantines, battering tourism.
The country’s borders have also remained largely closed since early 2020, halting international tourism. — AFP
