File photo shows people visit Lijiazhuang rural complex among blooming tulips in Yuzhong County, northwest China's Gansu Province, April 8, 2019. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)
In the first two month of 2020, Gansu's rural tourism fell 72% year on year. As the epidemic gradually comes under control, the sector will recover.
LANZHOU, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Zhu Yanjie's village homestay reopened on March 25 after two months of closure.
"The number of visitors is still low compared to previous years, but it keeps rising every day," Zhu said. "I think the number will continue to increase after the Tomb-sweeping Day holiday."
Zhu's homestay is located in Zhujiagou village in the city of Longnan, northwest China's Gansu Province. The village is close to mountains and rivers, making it a popular rural destination for tourists. In 2016, the area was listed as one of China's national traditional villages under protection.
However, the coronavirus outbreak greatly affected rural tourism in Gansu, including Zhu's business.
From January to February, rural tourism generated a revenue of 300 million yuan (42 million U.S. dollars) in Gansu, down 72 percent year on year.
As the epidemic gradually comes under control, the sector will recover, especially rural tours, said Ba Duoxun, with Northwest Normal University.
"The rural areas close to the cities will see their tourism sectors recover first," Ba said, adding the provincial government can roll out a series of measures to prepare for the recovery. ■