Chongqing - At 6:26 am, 34 Chinese tourists back home from Italy safely after 4 days stranded and a possibility of longer holdup in Europe due to the outbreak of 2019-nCoV. They were among 6000 tourists on the cruise Costa Smeralda. With the joint help of Chongqing government departments and the travel agency, the tourists found their way back, overcoming emergencies due to the sudden canceling of flights.
On January 24, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China issued an urgent notice that the national travel agencies and online tourism companies will temporarily suspend the business of group tour and ticket + hotel travel services. Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development had immediately strengthened communicated and coordinated with travel agencies, tracking and monitoring the departure group tour. Also, the department had dealt with related aftercare and effectively did epidemic prevention and control.
The cruise, Costa Smeralda
Travel abroad 34 stranded in Italy
However, before suspended travel business, 33 tourists and a team leader, who took the Cruise Costa Smeralda, departed from Chongqing a few days ago have arrived in Milan, Italy, the first stop of the planned itinerary. There are seven groups of families from three cities, Beijing, Chengdu, and Chongqing of the group. The original tour plan includes Rome, Cinque Terre, and other places. All routes were canceled due to the epidemic situation. The team plans to fly back from Milan on February 2.
But on January 31, Italy canceled all direct flights to China.
How to send these 34 people back home safely has become a top priority in the work of Chongqing Intercontinental International Travel Service Co., LTD (the travel agency), and Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development.
A return journey with a tortuous process
On the night when the non-stop flight with China was canceled in Italy, Chongqing Intercontinental International Travel Service gathered information about returning intention of 33 tourists through the team leader, including time, destinations, and more. At 2:40 AM the next day, the leader reported the progress of information collecting to Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, stepping the way of helping.
After communication and confirmation, again and again, tourists chose to fly to Frankfurt and Paris, then transfer back to China. According to Chongqing Intercontinental International Travel Service, things didn't go well. For example, there were four guests, whose international segment was divided into two flights, and the trip was requested to be re-scheduled. After refunding and rebooking, the tourists agreed to transferred from Dubai. It was already early in the morning of February 2 when everything is arranged.
Moreover, the travel agency ensured the flight and tourists' schedule, again and again, to guarantee they can back home safely, and they also build several chat groups to inform the latest information about the flights. Just when everyone relaxed, and the things happened again.
The records between customers and the agency
At 8:25 on February 3, the guests who flew back to Chengdu from Frankfurt turned to Chongqing Intercontinental International Travel Service for help, claiming that the airport border guards left the entire family for investigation. They were suspected of being on the same flight as the Wuhan patient who was confirmed infected in Rome on January 30. Therefore, they need to be quarantined for a few days.
The travel agency finally got the official documents to prove the guests and patients were not on the same flight through multiple verifications, with the help of Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, Foreign Affairs Office of Chongqing Municipal People's Government, and Air China.
At 13:45 on February 4, the last group of tourists transferring in Frankfurt took CA432 to Chengdu. At 6:26 am Feb. 5th, they finally arrived at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. The four-day urgent help succeeded. Thirty-three tourists and one team leader returned to China in 5 batches.
Next, the physical condition of the tourists after they return home will be observed.