Pacific Delights Tours Suspends Operations Because of Coronavirus Impact

Far East specialist tour operator Pacific Delight Tours has been forced to suspend operations because of the impact of coronavirus is having on its business, which is primarily China tours.

Pacific Delight, which has been operating since 1971, told its partners in a message obtained by TMR on Thursday that “too much of our business, going as far out as April 2021, has been pulled and what’s left for the foreseeable future is not sustainable for us to operate.”  

“Therefore, after nearly a half-century of bringing people to China – a place whose image has gone from bicycles and Mao jackets to more advances in technology and transportation than anywhere else in the world – Pacific Delight Tours has decided to suspend its operations effective immediately.”

The operator is refunding all of its group and tour payments that have been made for future travel. It also said that it was “paying forward all suppliers for the limited non-China business that has not cancelled” and will have its New York-based office opened for a short amount of time to handle issues from those bookings.

“We thank you for your support over the years. It has truly been a pleasure working in the same industry with you, particularly in the Asia Pacific theater.”

The operator, which had moved into a new office three weeks before coronavirus started to make headlines, was a USTOA member. USTOA membership allows a tour operator to provide $1 million travelers assistance program, protecting those consumers who booked with USTOA’s active members. According to a statement from USTOA, it had not been notified of Pacific Delight’s future as of Thursday evening. 

Pacific Delight did not return TMR’s request for comment by press time.