Deputy Director Sun Gang of the National Tourism Administration (NTA) said the NTA and tourism management departments across China would cooperate with health authorities to enhance epidemic-prevention work in scenic areas, sightseeing spots, hotels and vehicles to eliminate any possibility of infection.

All tourism activities in China were continuing as normal, said Sun at a briefing attended by staff of representative offices of overseas tourism agencies and airline companies.

The governments of some foreign countries had tried to persuade their citizens not to visit China, Sun said, which caused the cancellation of a number of package tours to China.

Statistics from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong, China's three major ports of entry, show that by April 3, about 136,000 tourists had called off their arranged visits to China.

However these abrogations would not severely affect China's tourism industry, which catered for several million tourists each month, Sun said, adding that a large number of overseas tourists came to China despite their governments' warnings.

China's Health Minister Zhang Wenkang told Chinese and foreign reporters Thursday that it was safe to work, tour and live in China.

The minister's remarks were the "most authoritative," Sun said, adding that Chinese tourism sectors would try their best to arrange the upcoming "Golden Week" for tourism, China's week-long holiday from May 1.

"A well-organized holiday, with millions of people traveling around the vast country, will show the world that tourism in China is secure and healthy," Sun said.

Statistics from the NTA indicate that China is the largest market for domestic tourism and in the January-February period this year, overseas tourists to China increased 9.25 percent year-on-year, with the number of foreign visitors jumping 25.09 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2003)