Air China has suspended its two flights each week to Phuket of Thailand due to the tsunamis triggered by a strong earthquake on Sunday, according to sources with Air China.

Tourist companies such as China Travel International (CTI), Comfort Travel and Beijing Travel Service are working on compensations for the tourists who registered to travel there later this month. Previously the travel agencies have joined hands in using Air China's chartered flights since the beginning of the winter.

Air China sent a flight to Phuket Tuesday with no passengers to carry back those stranded in Phuket.

The travel agencies have paid for international calls of tourists to their families after the tsunamis happened, said Yang Weihong, an official in charge of southeast Asian market in CTI.

Yang said the route to southeast Asian market will be affected in the short term, however the negative influence on tourism will diminish gradually.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2004)