VietNamNet Bridge – According to Tran The Dung, deputy head of the team on promoting domestic tourism in HCM City, four travel firms have reported canceled tours so far this month as tourists are concerned about the flu epidemic.

One tour has also been canceled with Fiditourist, a tour to Vung Tau by land for 60 tourists. He Tre has to cancel two tours by air for 40 tourists to the north.

However, Dung said that the number of tourists purchasing tours under promotion programmes in August will not decrease.

He said that member companies of his team have reported that 1,200 tourists have bought tours, nearly the same number of clients that booked tours in July (1,321).

Explaining this, analysts say that tourists’ worries about the flu epidemic have been eased, especially as they know how to protect themselves from the flu epidemic. They always wear protective masks during tours, restrict talking with strange persons in crowded places, and keep away from people who have signs of flu.

Twenty H1N1-positive patients were discovered in a delegation of 200 tourists travelling throughout the country. However, all patients have recovered.

Dung said that since the incident, the member firms of the team have organised three more tours for three delegations of tourists going to Ha Long, Sa Pa and Tam Coc. All the tourists have been staying healthy.

Meanwhile, airlines have been taking a lot of measures to prevent the flu epidemic from spreading.

Jetstar Pacific on August 18 announced the application of measures to prevent the spread of the flu epidemic, such as spraying specialised decontamination substances before every aircraft takes off and lands.

The airline has also equipped itself with body temperature measuring machines to take the temperatures of all passengers. All staff who work at the airport, pilots and stewardesses must wear protective masks.

Jestar has also called on all people to join in the prevention of the flu by wearing masks when travelling by air.

Ha Yen