Although the snowstorms have finally abated, industry experts say the country's tourism sector could take several months to fully recover.

Freezing weather had paralyzed the transport network and crippled power grids across southern China, causing at least 300,000 tourists, including 60,000 foreigners to cancel scheduled trips. More than 1,600 tourist attractions had been forced to suspend operations. Meanwhile, countless forests, parklands, recreational facilities and other public services for tourists have been ruined.

Figures from the China National Tourism administration show the total economic loss to the tourism industry is 6.97 billion yuan as of Feb 9th. Of the 19 provinces affected by the fierce weather, Guizhou and Hunan were the two worst hit.