In the wake of Monday's massive earthquake centered in the western Sichuan province of China, tour operators were still assessing potential impacts but initial reports indicated that their operations may not be affected.
Flights from Beijing to Chengdu, Chongqing, and Xi'an were all delayed, according to China's state news agency Xinhua. The airport at Chengdu, capital of the Sichuan province, remained shut down Monday as engineers assessed the runways, Xinhua reported.
Tour operators in the region told Travel Weekly that their ground teams are still assessing the damage, but it appears they are running their itineraries as usual.
"We received information from our operators, and at the moment it's not affecting our tours, even the cruises are operating as normal," said Margaret Loo, director of sales and marketing at San Francisco-based China Travel Service.
"We're just starting to get word," said Marilyn Staff, president of Boulder, Colo.-based Asia Transpacific Journeys. "It's not an area I believe where we have any travelers at this time."
To contact reporter Michelle Baran, send e-mail to [email protected].