SICHUAN Tourism Bureau, director, Mr Zhang Gu, announced expected losses of more than RMB50 billion (over US$7 billion) in the tourism sector caused by the May 12 magnitude 7.9 earthquake.
China’s south-west province is a popular tourist destination, housing panda reserves and natural scenery tied to Chinese folklore.
Scenic spots Dujiangyan and Jiuzhaigou have incurred damage, and several ancient sites have collapsed. Local media reports indicated tourism revenue in Sichuan amounted to more than RMB121 million in 2007.
The bureau also confirmed that 59 tourists were killed in the earthquake, while 7,543 local and overseas tourists had been evacuated.(source:xinhua)