# Wuhan as tourist destination

By [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com) · 2020-10-17

china, coronavirus, covid-19, health, travel, urbanism, wall-street-journal, wsj, wuhan

---

Seeing people out at bars and at amusements parks in [this WSJ video about Wuhan, China](https://on.wsj.com/3lP1f3k) is a little odd given that in this part of the world we are decisively [in our second wave](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-five-days-of-the-second-wave-an-inside-look-at-toronto-hospitals/). But that is what is happening. In fact, the title of the video is, "Wuhan, Former Pandemic Center, Emerges as Tourist Hot Spot."

Over a recent public holiday, the city saw nearly 19 million tourists -- the most of any Chinese city. And while tourist revenues are still thought to be down by some 30%, Chinese people are seemingly feeling confident enough to get back out and do things.

Based on what the WSJ is reporting, this seems to be supported by a few things. International travel isn't happening, so it's becoming a boon for local tourism, which is not that dissimilar from what's happening in other countries. (Domestic air travel is rebounding faster than international travel when you look at [flight volumes across major airlines](https://www.ft.com/content/e6e24ff1-448c-48c4-858f-0784a43a5582).)

At the same time, Wuhan implemented what sounds like some pretty extensive testing, which is in turn supported by a national healthcare platform that presumably makes contact tracing easier. These things seem to have given people the confidence to go out again. And I don't doubt that the same will eventually happen in the rest of the world.

---

*Originally published on [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com/wuhan-as-tourist-destination)*