After the novel coronavirus outbreak, many scenic spots in China have decided to waive entrance fees for the country's medical workers in a gesture of gratitude for their efforts and sacrifices at the front line of the epidemic fight.

According to statistics released by Ctrip, China's biggest online travel agency, as of Feb 20, over 1,000 tourist attractions around China have adopted the free-entry policy for the nation's medical workers. The move involves nearly 200 cities and covers a large variety of sightseeing attractions ranging from natural wonders and heritage sites to theme parks, museums and cruise liners.

But specific measures have varied in different regions. Hubei province, the center of the novel coronavirus outbreak, has granted all medical teams that aided the province free admission to its top tourist sites for five years.The provincial cultural and tourism department will issue a card to all outside medical team members that can provide unlimited free visits to the top-rated Class-A tourist sites in the province before Dec 31, 2024. Local medical staff can visit these sites for free using their medical credentials for two years, the department said.

In Southwest China's Sichuan province, a growing number of scenic areas including the Leshan Giant Buddha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, announced they would open free of charge to the nation's doctors and nurses within a year after they resume business.

Guilin, a southern Chinese city known for its picturesque karst mountains and beautiful rivers, announced that it would waive the entrance fees to 80 tourist sites for medical workers this year, according to the city's culture, radio and television and tourism bureau.

In Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, the free-entry policy will cover 23 scenic areas, four museums and the ancient city wall. Medical workers can take sightseeing buses free of charge in the city.

Carefully reopening

Some tourist attractions in low-risk regions of the novel coronavirus outbreak have gradually reopened to the public, Liu Kezhi, an official with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said Wednesday.

Liu further stressed that scenic spots often host large numbers of people, so the resumption should be guided by local governments after an overall assessment of conditions and necessity.

Liu said reopening tourist attractions in regions with a lower risk of infection should be approved by local governments and that such attractions in high-risk areas should remain closed for now.

On Tuesday night, the ministry issued a set of guidelines requiring real-name ticketing along with tourist contact and transportation information and encouraging full use of big data-powered technology to monitor tourist information in real time as scenic attractions have gradually started reopening.

The guidelines also noted that scenic spots that are set to reopen should strictly control the daily maximum capacity and offer online ticket booking services to avoid crowds. Tourists should have their temperatures taken and wear masks before entering as well.

The ministry also required scenic spots to monitor and report their employees' health conditions and beef up hygiene and epidemic control at major sites. Venues or activities that could draw large crowds should remain shut.

Statistics from the online travel agency Ctrip showed that, nationwide, more than 300 major scenic spots were open to the public this week, more than 10 times the previous week.

Fragrant Hills in suburban Beijing witnessed traffic jams last weekend after a large number of tourists swarmed into the forest park. Its management bureau later shut down indoor areas and closed five parking lots from Monday in an effort to limit the number of tourists.

Shanghai also rolled out a guideline for the municipality's A-grade tourist attractions to combat the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Tourist attractions will reopen gradually depending on the city's epidemic prevention and control situation. Temporary isolation spots should be set up and materials such as face masks, gloves, medical alcohol and disinfectant should be prepared in scenic areas, according to the guideline.

Scenic spots are encouraged to introduce an online prebooking system and limit the flow of tourists. The daily maximum capacity should be halved, and relevant information should be made public, the guideline said.