A new direct Dublin to China air service due to start in March has been deferred as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, and there is concern for seasonal flights due to resume in April.
This decision as well as the cancellation of a sales mission to China by Tourism Ireland comes as the Department of Foreign Affairs advises against travel to mainland China, excluding Hong Kong and Macau.
The Irish Association of Travel agents said growing corporate travel between Ireland and China has been badly hit by the outbreak.
The head of the World Health Organisation called for nations around the globe to boost funding to fight the coronavirus while the outbreak is still mostly confined to China, and the airline industry forecast the first annual decline in global passenger demand in more than decade.
On Thursday the global death toll from the virus climbed to 2,129 and confirmed cases reached 75,730.
The death toll in China rose to 2,118, with cases at 74,576. Officials said earlier this week more than 80 per cent of cases had been mild.
Pat Dawson chief executive of the Irish Travel Agents Association said it was difficult to put a value on the Chinese business facilitated by the association’s members. But he said while it was only “one or two percent” of overall business, the association’s overall business was worth about €1.5 billion to €1.6 billion annually.
He said the industry’s first thoughts were with those affected by the virus.
Losses
On Thursday, Air France-KLM said the flight cancellations to mainland China until the end of March could wipe almost €200 million off their earnings between February and April. Quantas said the outbreak could cost it more then €90 million.
Chinese airline Juneyao Air was to launch a new twice weekly year-round route between Dublin and China’s largest city Shanghai next month. However a spokesman for the airline told The Irish Times this would be deferred. He said a tentative date of April had been put forward but this could not be certain.
Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons confirmed the cancellation of a sales mission involving major Irish tour and venue operators, scheduled for next week. A four-city tour to China last year had been deemed to be very successful and the most popular Chinese tour to Britain now included an Irish leg, visiting Northern Ireland and the Republic.
Mr Gibbons said although the Chinese represented just 0.9 percent of the foreign tourist numbers visiting the island there were many people geared up to accommodate them. He said Stena Line brought 75,000 Chinese tourists into Belfast and out of Dublin last year while many shops had special interpreters and assistance provided for the visitors.
Fluid situation
Asian holiday specialists Trailfinders said it will not be selling trips to China as “we are operatively contacting passengers as a priority to try and adjust their trip and we will keep on top of any changes to the Department of Foreign Affairs advice. We will not be selling trips to China which include travel dates up and including June 30th.”
A spokesman said the company has a 24 hour team in place to support clients if required adding “we will work with our suppliers to amend any travel arrangements”.
Mr Gibbons said Tourism Ireland was in constant touch with Hainan Airlines and Cathay Pacific which were due to resume seasonal flights, direct from Dublin to China and Hong Kong respectively. But he said the situation was currently “very fluid”.
