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Beijing welcomes lifting of SARS advisory
Beijing, June 25: With flying confetti and clanging gongs, Beijing today celebrated the lifting of the World Health Organization`s SARS travel warning over the city, reopened discos and internet cafes and sought to resuscitate its battered tourism industry.
Beijing, June 25: With flying confetti and clanging gongs, Beijing today celebrated the lifting of the World Health Organization's SARS travel warning over the city, reopened discos and internet cafes and sought to resuscitate its battered tourism industry.
Banner headlines in Chinese newspapers cheered WHO's
yesterday's announcement giving a clean bill of health to the
capital of the nation where the outbreak began and lifting the
last remaining SARS warning anywhere in the world.
"Our wish is finally fulfilled, we smile again," the popular Beijing youth daily said above a photograph of city residents posing in front of a banner reading, "We win!"
"Beijing returns to normal," the China youth daily said on its front page.
Beijing was simultaneously removed from a WHO list of places with recent local transmissions of the disease - a move recognizing the passage of more than 20 days since the last SARS case was isolated.
City travel bureau officials and representatives of tour agencies rallied at the Beijing exhibition hall to relaunch the city's tourism industry. Hotels, tour agencies and transportation companies are reported to have suffered 16 billion yuan (US$1.9 billion) losses during the outbreak.
An estimated 10 million fewer visitors came to the city during the first half of the year due to domestic travel restrictions and foreigners heeding the April 23 who advisory, which urged people to delay any non-urgent trips.
"We've taken the opportunity of this suspension to move the Beijing travel industry up a step," said Ding Changjiang, director of the Beijing travel bureau.
Bureau Report
"Our wish is finally fulfilled, we smile again," the popular Beijing youth daily said above a photograph of city residents posing in front of a banner reading, "We win!"
"Beijing returns to normal," the China youth daily said on its front page.
Beijing was simultaneously removed from a WHO list of places with recent local transmissions of the disease - a move recognizing the passage of more than 20 days since the last SARS case was isolated.
City travel bureau officials and representatives of tour agencies rallied at the Beijing exhibition hall to relaunch the city's tourism industry. Hotels, tour agencies and transportation companies are reported to have suffered 16 billion yuan (US$1.9 billion) losses during the outbreak.
An estimated 10 million fewer visitors came to the city during the first half of the year due to domestic travel restrictions and foreigners heeding the April 23 who advisory, which urged people to delay any non-urgent trips.
"We've taken the opportunity of this suspension to move the Beijing travel industry up a step," said Ding Changjiang, director of the Beijing travel bureau.
Bureau Report