The seat occupancy rates of flights sank in June as people canceled their trips in fear of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak, while the figures are expected to recover somewhat moving forward due to the summer season, industry data showed Sunday.
  

The total number of passengers on domestic and international flights came to 5.99 million in June, down 10 percent from a year ago, according to the data by the nation's two major airlines -- Korean Air Lines Co. and Asiana Airlines Inc. 
  

The occupancy rates for international and domestic flights were 65.3 percent and 70.8 percent, respectively, data showed.
  

The actual loss is considered much bigger considering the increased demand for travel after airlines reduced ticket prices on lower oil prices. The number of passengers had risen 15-20 percent year-on-year before the MERS outbreak hit the nation on May 20, industry officials noted.
  

The spread of the MERS virus dealt a bigger blow to international flights as many Chinese, the single biggest traveler group to the nation, have canceled their trips here.
  

According to the state-run Korea Tourism Organization, over 130,000 foreigners, mostly from China, have called off their trips here since the first outbreak.
  

As the MERS outbreak has slowed down over the past weeks, sentiment gradually has improved for the summer season.
  

The flight booking rate for July and August rose to 75 percent and 80 percent, respectively, but the latest figures still fall below the level from the previous year, officials said.
  

A total of 186 people have been diagnosed with MERS, while the death toll has stood at 33 for the past five days, the health ministry said. The number of people under quarantine measures fell below 1,000, while over 15,000 people have been released from isolation as of Sunday.
  

Grappling with the plummeting number of tourists from China, local tour agencies and airlines have launched joint promotional events to reassure travelers about the country's safety.
  

Asiana Airlines and Lotte Hotel, together with the KTO and the Korea Airports Corp., invited a group of 200 Chinese, including tour officials, journalists and bloggers, to visit Seoul next week, splitting bills for their travel expenses.
  

"We hope this event can provide the opportunity to let Chinese know that the MERS outbreak is over," Asiana Airlines CEO Kim Soo-cheon said. (Yonhap)