Key developments:
* Europe projects 7%-25% less Chinese arrivals
* Cruise infections in Japan rise to 454
* China’s big airlines report early hit
* OYO grows revenue but widens loss
Worldwide updates:
Expedia suspends China listings
>> ChinaTravelNews learned on February 14 that Expedia's Chinese website has taken down listings of hotels, flights and local tour offerings from mainland China. The U.S. online travel powerhouse has told its suppliers via email that it will suspend the sales of all the mainland China-based products, ground transportation and tours, according to a Chinese supplier.
An employee at the company told ChinaTravelNews that the suspension was due to the fact that some countries has restricted travel to and from mainland China, and that the company will gradually lift the suspension as the coronavirus tensioin eases.
Europe projects 7%-25% less Chinese arrivals
>> Europe anticipates seeing Chinese arrivals in the range of 7% (most likely case) and 25% (downside case) lower in 2020 compared to the pre-crisis (counterfactual) forecast.
In absolute terms, these impacts equate to between 1 million (most likely case) and 3.7 million (downside case) fewer Chinese arrivals in Europe in 2020 than would’ve been the case under the counterfactual forecast.
Universal Studios Beijing to open as scheduled
>> The Universal Studios Beijing will open to the public in May 2021 as scheduled despite the current Cobid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, an official at the Beijing municipal government said Feb 16.
Construction of the theme park, the fifth such Universal Studios in the world, is expected to be completed by the end of 2020, the official said.
Cruise infections in Japan rise to 454
>> Another 99 people have tested positive for coronavirus onboard the stricken Princess Diamond cruise ship docked in Japan, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 454.
Meanwhile, concern is growing over possible infections among passengers from another cruise liner that docked in Cambodia last week. On Sunday a traveler from the MS Westerdam was confirmed to have the virus in Malaysia, days after disembarking along with hundreds of other passengers.
China’s big airlines report early hit
>> China’s three largest airlines reported declines in January passenger traffic because of the coronavirus outbreak, with the shortfalls likely to deepen this month as the epidemic continues to disrupt travel for millions of people.
Air China’s numbers slipped 2.9% from a year earlier, while China Southern Airlines’ fell 4.6% and China Eastern Airlines’ dropped 5.4%. Their totals ranged from 9.2 million to 11.4 million passengers.
Cathay warns results will deteriorate
>> Cathay Pacific Airways has warned its financial results in the first half of the year will be “significantly” lower than last year.
The Hong Kong-based airline said Monday that it had slashed overall passenger capacity by 40% in February and March, citing the coronavirus outbreak. It also said a reduction in passenger capacity was likely in April.
OYO grows revenue but widens loss
>> Budget-lodging startup OYO reported a loss of $335 million on $951 million revenue globally for the financial year ending March 31, 2019, and pledged to cut down on its spending as the India-headquartered firm grows cautious about its aggressive expansion. The company’s loss has widened sixfold from $52 million in FY18 to $335 million a year later.
Chinese hotelier expects virus impact
>> New Century Hotel announced that the recent coronavirus epidemic has a significant adverse impact on the company's operations in late January and February 2020 and is expected to adversely affect operating performance for the full year.
