With Census X-12 model and ARIMA model, this paper quantitatively analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the latent emissiveness of Chinese residents which happened at the end of 2019. The results show that: First, during this epidemic period, the overall latent emissiveness index of Chinese residents decreased by 53.51%, and showed certain spatial difference, and it is not the area with the largest number of confirmed cases, and the area with the most serious epidemic situation, the greater the loss of latent emissiveness. Second, the residents’ willingness to travel has a strong fit with the development stage of the epidemic, but there is also a certain lag. In other words, the more severe the epidemic, the lower the willingness of residents to travel; When the epidemic is under control, people’s willingness to travel will rise again, but the rise time will be delayed. Third, compared with the period of SARS in 2003, the impact of COVID-19 on China residents’ latent emissiveness is greater and more profound, three times as much as that of the SARS period. In view of the serious impact of the epidemic on Chinese residents’ willingness to travel, finally, several development suggestions are put forward on how to re-enhance people’s travel information and revitalize the tourism industry in the process of normalizing the epidemic prevention and control.