E-commerce delivers fresh success

As customers dwindled, tourism company tried a new business

When Zhuo Daofu's tourism company started to go under due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, he knew he had to do something quickly to survive.

The tourism businesses in Shiyan, Hubei province, virtually shut down after the outbreak began in late December. Most residents in urban areas remain under strict quarantine, with their daily necessities met by delivery services.

Including office rent and the salaries of the 10 full-time employees of Baishitong International Travel Service, Zhuo's monthly operating costs are about 50,000 yuan ($7,185).

"If there was no other income, the company would not have lasted half a year," Zhuo, 40, said. "If the current team of the company was disbanded and a new one was formed after the epidemic, it would also be a great loss to the company."

In the first quarter of the year, the tourism company usually earns 100,000 yuan profit from the Spring Festival holiday and organizing visits to the local hot springs. While not a great amount, it's enough to keep the business going until the summer.

"The peak season for tourism is July and August, so ensuring the company survives during this epidemic is the priority for me and my wife. After all, we don't want to die before the dawn as this epidemic can't last forever," Zhuo said.