What the Coronavirus Means So Far for the Travel Industry

The coronavirus has rapidly become a serious global concern after first being detected in the final days of 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The travel industry is increasingly bracing for its impact. Chinese officials reported Friday that there are 830 cases and 26 deaths, and there are confirmed cases in countries including the U.S., Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and others. The quarantine has been expanded to 12 cities including the epicenter of Wuhan — an area representing an astonishing 35 million people. The World Health Organization on Thursday, called for precautions, but fell short of declaring a “a global emergency,” at least for now. The travel industry may experience an outsize impact and disruption from efforts to contain the spread of the virus. Here's a breakdown of coronavirus' impact so far on key travel sectors: tourism, aviation, hotels, and business travel. Tourism When it comes to the tourism sector, the damage of the coronavirus is as muc