The annual National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) Travel Fair will not be taking place from Feb. 21 to 23, 2020, as it has been postponed due to Wuhan virus outbreak.

It has been rescheduled to May 1 to 3, 2020.

NATAS typically organises two large-scale travel fairs annually.

The first one is usually held in February or March and the second one in August or September.

Each year, the fairs draw crowds of more than 110,000.

This postponed fair will be held at Singapore Expo.

Exhibitors feared Wuhan coronavirus would affect visitor turnout

The fair has been postponed this year as participating exhibitors fear that the ongoing outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus would affect visitor turnout, CNA reported.

However, there were also a number of requests for NATAS to hold a smaller scale fair in February.

NATAS President Steven Ler has stated that NATAS would "gauge the interest level" and come to a decision on whether that is feasible.

NATAS director of public relations and communications Alicia Seah said it is not the right time to stage a travel event "at this juncture of the virus crisis" and hoped that travellers would be "ready to make travel bookings for the second half of 2020" by May.

Tourism sector to feel economic impact most intensely

On Jan. 31, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said “China is a big source of tourists for Singapore” and that the implementation of travel restrictions would impact Singapore’s economy.

Deputy prime minister and finance minister Heng Swee Keat had also pointed out that the tourism and transport sectors in Singapore would feel the economic impact most intensely in the coming months.

As a result, the government is prepared to provide targeted support to the tourism and transport sectors in the near future.

Top image via NATAS