Notice of the General Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Strengthening the Epidemic Prevention and Control Work of Tourist Groups during New Year's Day and the Spring Festival in 2022

Ministry of Culture and Tourism [2021] No. 334

Departments or bureaus of culture and tourism of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government and the Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps:

In order to ensure epidemic prevention and control during New Year's Day and the Spring Festival in 2022, we shall do a good job in epidemic prevention and control of tourist groups with perseverance and accuracy in accordance with the State Council's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism. The relevant matters are notified as follows:

I. The "circuit breaker" mechanism of cross-provincial tourism business management shall be strictly implemented. Areas with middle and high COVID-19 risk levels in provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall immediately suspend group tours that cross provincial borders and the "air ticket and hotel" business of travel agencies and online travel businesses.

II. Travel agencies' and online travel businesses' group tours that cross provincial borders to land ports (exclusive of cities connected to ports in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions) and "air ticket and hotel" business are suspended from now until March 15, 2022.

III. Travel agencies and online travel businesses shall enhance health monitoring of their employees and regularly conduct nucleic acid tests for their front-line employees including tour guides. They shall obey requirements of transportation, accommodations, catering, sightseeing, and shopping for epidemic prevention and control. They shall also pay close attention to traffic flow restrictions in scenic spots and risk tips, thus planning tourist routes reasonably and controlling the size of tourist groups. Besides, they shall fill in the information of their tourist groups on the national tourism supervision service platform in a timely and accurate manner.

IV. All areas shall be aware of the importance of epidemic prevention and control of tourist groups during New Year's Day and the Spring Festival in 2022, guiding and urging travel agencies and online travel businesses to implement control measures of attracting, organizing, and receiving tourists in a strict and careful way.

According to the State Council's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism, governments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall decide upon and announce land ports in time according to the needs of epidemic prevention and control.

It is hereby notified.

General Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism

December 17, 2021