Japanese tour agencies are on the lookout for the spread of SARS in China and other destinations but have not detected any large-scale cancellations following the confirmation of the first case of the season in China this week, agencies said Wednesday.
"There's been no special effect yet," said Hiroshi Ueno, a spokesman for JTB Corp., Japan's largest travel agency.
The illness of a 32-year-old TV producer in Guangdong was confirmed as severe acute respiratory syndrome Monday after weeks of testing. On Tuesday, the government said the man had "fully recovered" and would leave the hospital Thursday.
East Asia has been on the alert for a reappearance of the disease, which was first recorded in Guangdong in November 2002 and spread in Asia and beyond, killing a reported 774 people before subsiding in June. Panic over the illness led to mass cancellations of tours to the region.
Government and airport officials in Japan are urging caution and say they are monitoring travelers coming from infected areas. Tour agents are encouraging employees and tour guides to get flu shots to avoid any confusion between SARS and flu cases.
Kinki Nippon Tourist Co., another large tour operator in Japan, has handed out information cards to guides and business travelers on how to avoid SARS and influenza, spokeswoman Eiko Sato said.
The reappearance of SARS comes as Japanese tourists, known for traveling -- and spending -- far and wide, are staying closer to home over fears of terrorism and war in addition to SARS. While foreign bookings have slumped, domestic trips are increasing.
Ueno of JTB suggested that the SARS case confirmed Monday was getting too much attention.
"The media have been overreacting," he said. "We haven't been affected much."
