U.S., Jan. 25 -- Professor Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt FRGS FRAS, CEO of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute ( COTRI), issued the following statement on Chinese outbound tourism and coronavirus outbreak in China:

Today is the Chuxi (??), the last day of the Earth Pig year and New Year's Eve for the Metal Rat year, starting a new round as the first of the twelve years of the Chinese Zodiac calendar.

This should be a day of celebration and expectations of a joyful week of food and fun and togetherness for hundreds of millions of families in China.

Instead, a new outbreak of a Coronavirus has resulted in anxiety, the cancellation of official celebrations, the closure of attractions like the Forbidden City or Shanghai Disneyland and ...