WSJ: U.S. studying possible restrictions on tourists from China due to coronavirus outbreak
The U.S. could copy the experience of Japan and Malaysia on restrictions for tourists from China after a surge in coronavirus cases in the country. Japanese authorities have pointed to a troubling discrepancy in the outbreak data
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is considering new restrictions on Chinese tourists. Possible measures are being considered against the background of the outbreak of coronavirus in China, the lifting of three-year travel bans by the authorities of the country and the sharp increase in sales of air tickets from China. This writes The Wall Street Journal with reference to sources among U.S. officials.
Washington is following the advice of health experts and consulting with partners, one of the paper’s interlocutors assured, but none of them disclosed the contents of the possible restrictions. The U.S. could adopt the models of Japan and Malaysia to contain the spread of the coronavirus during this outbreak in China, sources pointed out to the WSJ.
The publication reminded that tourists from China are the world’s largest source of income for the tourism industry. In 2016 alone, Chinese travelers spent almost $258 billion – 20% of total world tourism expenditure, according to the UN Tourism Organization, listed on the website of the World Economic Forum.
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In mid-December the U.S. Embassy in China suspended the issuance of visas, confining itself to “passport and emergency services for citizens.”