Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons announced at a briefing on Thursday that because of coronavirus concerns, the Irish national tourist board has repatriated its Irish staff from China and canceled a trade mission of 25 Irish companies to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou that had been scheduled for this week.

Any direct impact on Irish tourism is expected to be minor, as visitors from China make up only 0.9% of overseas travelers to Ireland.

But travel bans and airport closures to international flights could have global impact on travel for months to come. Stay tuned for updates.