Yellowstone To Feel Impact of Coronavirus

Above, tourists at one of Yellowstone's hot springs. Photo by Arman Vaquer.

The outbreak of the coronavirus in China will impact tourist numbers this year in Yellowstone National Park.

About a quarter of all foreign visitors to Yellowstone come from China, according to a recent survey.

The Wyoming News wrote:

POWELL — Whether or not novel coronavirus itself makes its way to Wyoming, experts say businesses across the greater Yellowstone ecosystem will feel the effects of a lack of Chinese visitors. 

The Chinese government has imposed mandatory quarantines in parts of the country while the U.S. government has greatly restricted travelers from China to limit the spread of the new virus. 

Chinese tour groups are 100% suspended right now, said Brian Riley, a Wyoming tourism professional who has been marketing Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park tours to Chinese visitors for the past several years. 

“Most of China is like a ghost town right now,” Riley said. “I can’t see [the tourism industry] recovering before summer.” 

According to Yellowstone’s most recent Visitor Use Survey, about a quarter of all foreign visitors coming to the park are from China. Riley, owner of Old Hands Holdings in Jackson, said between 350,000 to 400,000 Chinese visitors travel to the greater Yellowstone ecosystem each year.

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