Tourism companies in China are taking various measures to boost business as the pneumonia outbreak continues to keep the sector grounded.

The Palace Museum offers virtual tour of the museum. (Photo/The Palace Museum)

The online travel agency Ctrip has launched nearly 7,000 audio guides for free to over 3,000 tourist destinations in China and abroad since February 19. In the future, it also aims to give users the chance to visit scenic spots through short videos and live broadcasts.

The travel agency has established a special fund of 1 billion yuan to support its partners, such as airlines and hotels, and will also reduce their fees.

Another online travel service provider, Tongcheng-Elong, has taken a different approach. In addition to encouraging its 5,000 employees to sell fresh food on the platform to create profits during this period, it has also started to offer training programs through live broadcasts, according to Wu Zhixiang, Chairman at Tongcheng-Elong Holdings Ltd.

Many online travel agencies have provided online courses to help professionals in the industry better prepare themselves for business opportunities. The travel platform Fliggy, for example, attracted nearly 2,000 merchants with its live courses.

Sun Jie, CEO of Ctrip, remains optimistic about the future of tourism companies. “The millions of orders on the platform were delayed, not cancelled, during the recent Spring Festival,” Sun said, adding that he is certain customers will come back after the epidemic.