Actually, local tourism authorities have banned the entry of all tourist groups for the sake of safety.

"It was our prime time last May, usually a peak season for tourism. But this year, the situation is very bad," said Huang Hai, manager of the West Holiday Travel Service in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province.

At the Jiuzhai Paradise Hotel near the well-known Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area, also a site on the World Heritage List, more than 1,000 rooms have been left vacant after the quake, said Deng Hong, the hotel board chairman.

"Tourists had to book rooms at least five days in advance in May last year," he said.

Travel agencies in Sichuan have reported a total loss of 283 million yuan and hotels reported more than 9.5 billion yuan in losses, statistics from Sichuan Provincial Tourism Bureau show.

"An important thing for us is to gradually help rebuild tourists' confidence," said Xiong Longdong, head of the marketing department of the Sichuan Provincial Tourism Bureau.

Fortunately, Xiong said, the Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area, about 200 km away from the epicenter, did not suffer any damages in the quake, although road links had been cut.