BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 3
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Tourists massively cancel spring hotel reservations in Georgian capital Tbilisi due to the coronavirus, said Head of the Association of Hotels and Restaurants of Georgia Shalva Alaverdashvili, Trend reports citing Georgian media.
According to him, the winter months are not considered seasonal in Tbilisi, so March is the month when the tourist flow begins to grow.
Alaverdashvili added that many customers demand to return their money pre-paid for the reservation, which is not possible.
The head of the association noted that the tourism industry is on the verge of a serious crisis. According to him, the biggest blow came in Tbilisi.
“Over the past 5-6 days, 80-90 percent of the reservations for March and April were canceled. This means that the industry is almost on the verge of bankruptcy,” said Alaverdashvili, having expressed a hope that a corresponding action plan would be developed.
To date, three cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded in Georgia. All infected are Georgian citizens who have recently arrived from abroad. In addition, 170 people suspected of coronavirus are quarantined.
The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019.
Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. The symptoms include cough, headache, fatigue, fever, aching and difficulty breathing. It is primarily spread through airborne contact or contact with contaminated objects.
Chinese health authorities say that the majority of the people who have died were either elderly or had underlying health problems.
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