(Yicai Global) Aug. 2 -- The Qingdao International Beer Festival, China’s equivalent of the Oktoberfest, and a number of other alcohol-promoting events have been cancelled as part of the country’s efforts to prevent big gatherings as it grapples with an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant of Covid-19, leading to concerns among industry players of how big the impact will be.

The second half of the year is peak season for sales when many wedding ceremonies, conferences and conventions are held, a number of wine merchants told Yicai Global. Although they have not yet received many cancellations, they are concerned about the rapid spread of the pandemic, with more than 300 cases being detected in over a dozen provinces over the last 10 days.

The closing ceremony of the Qingdao International Beer Festival, which is already underway, will be held today, the organizers said yesterday as local governments withdraw approvals for events with more than 100 participants.

The second Xi’an International Beer Festival in central Shaanxi province that was supposed to start on July 30 has been called off. And the 12th Asian Wine Competition due to begin in Jinan, northeastern Shandong province on Aug. 5 has been postponed.

The possibility that authorities will bring in further measures to stop public gatherings cannot be excluded, Cai Xuefei, an expert in Chinese spirits, told Yicai Global. This will lead to a huge drop in alcohol-fueled events, but the specific impact will depend on how well the current wave is controlled, he added.

Editors: Liao Shumin, Kim Taylor