Purdue News

June 9, 2003

SARS scars more than Chinese economy

A Purdue University communication professor says that the SARS epidemic will not only dent the Chinese economy, but also leave a lasting impression on the Chinese government.

"We see on the political level how the Chinese media are taking this crisis as an opportunity to demand more transparency and openness from the government," says Jian Wang, an expert in global and international marketing communication.

Wang also can talk about how countries will rebound from the sickly image SARS has projected on their economies. Wang says healing has begun in areas earlier hit by SARS, such as Toronto, Singapore and Hong Kong. He says these regions are busy working on recovery campaigns to rebuild their images and to entice business and leisure travelers back to those cities.

"How successful their efforts will largely depend on when SARS will be under control or whether we will soon come to know more about the disease than what we know about it now," Wang says. "It's the mystery aspect of the disease that unsettles most people."

Wang also can talk about how SARS has had devastating effects on tourism and local and global tourism-related businesses, as well as the challenges in marketing information about SARS to the vast area of rural China.

CONTACT: Wang, (765) 494-3325, JianWang@sla.purdue.edu.