Airlines have suspended flights in many countries around the world. Airports Council International Asia-Pacific said that air traffic at 12 major airports in the region was more than 80% lower in the second week of March compared to the same period last year.
In Nepal, about 10,000 tourists are stranded as the government ordered a halt to flights and a road blockade to prevent the Covid-19 epidemic, according to data from the country's Tourism Board.
Spring is always the peak tourist season in Nepal when tourists from all over the world flock here to visit.
Lukla Airport, the only gateway to Everest, said about 200 passengers were stranded there. If they traveled by highway, it would take at least three days to get down to the foot of the mountain. The Nepalese government is arranging special flights to bring stranded tourists to the capital Kathmandu and is continuing to work out a plan.
On March 27, the German government sent a rescue flight to Nepal, bringing 305 people - mainly German citizens - back home.
In Kathmandu, a few hotels and restaurants remain open to serve tourists. Nepalese citizens are asked to limit their movement on the streets.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is ready to plan to help about 18,000 tourists return home through operating flights or charter flights if necessary.
In Indonesia, more than 2,500 foreign tourists were stranded in Bali. Tourists were allowed to apply for visa extensions online instead of going directly to immigration offices. In contrast, hundreds of tourists in Thailand had to extend their visas directly at immigration offices. This raised concerns about the spread of the virus with tourists not keeping a safe distance when gathering in large groups to complete procedures.
Thailand has now announced the closure of its borders, restricting entry to foreigners as much as possible. Thai Airways has also suspended most of its flights.
Thailand declared a state of emergency last week to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We are worried that our upcoming flight will likely be canceled and we will have to continue staying in Thailand, while our group's Thai visas will expire in mid-April," a Russian tourist told Time.
Currently, about 500,000 international tourists in Thailand may have overstayed their visas and be unable to return home because European countries are in lockdown to control the epidemic.
