Kendari, SE Sulawesi (ANTARA) - The Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) of Southeast Sulawesi chapter has revealed that at least nine hotels and several restaurants have been closed as they lost customers due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).
Nine hotels' managers had sent official letters to the association about their temporary closure, PHRI Southeast Sulawesi Secretary-General Eko Dwisasono said here on Sunday.
As a consequence, their employees lost their jobs and income to support their families, he said.
The nine hotels that sent official letters regarding the temporary closure were Davinci Hotel, Delta Inn, Imperial, Mayaria, Plaza Kubra, Continent, Pejaten, Lotus Guest House and Kubra.
"Actually there are many more hotels were closed, but only nine of them sent official letters (informing their temporary closure)," he said.
Some 2,000 people worked as employees of the hotel industry in Kendari, which has 30 star-rated hotels and 100 non-star rated hotels, with a total of 3,100 rooms and 6,000 beds.
In the meantime, 15 companies mostly engaged in the tourism sector in Bintan District, Riau Islands Province, have stopped operating due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, few tourists had visited Bintan, Chief of the Bintan Manpower Office Indra Hidayat said in Bintan, on April 12.
Singapore has been the biggest source of tourist arrivals in Bintan. However, it is now imposing restrictions on travelers coming into the city-state.
"As a result, hotels and restaurants in Bintan are nearly empty," he said.
The companies that stop operating include PT Bintan On Base Resort, Starjet Grup, PT Arty Bintan Hotel, PT Bintan SPA Villa, PT Bakri Karya Sarana, PT Bali Holiday, PT Pulau Cempedak, PT Pulau Nicoi, PT Bintan Pulau Indah, PT Bukit Bintan Raya, Tanah Merah Seafood Restoran, PT Bintan Alumni Indonesia, PT Serumpun Padi Mas, PT Langit Asta Perkasa CB, and PT Alam Indah Bintan.
He said PT Alam Indah Bintan, known as Nirwana Garden Lagoi has not reported its list of employees taking unpaid leave. The company plans to force 564 of its employees to take unpaid leave.
"In total, 635 employees will be laid off, and 1,361 others will take unpaid leave," he said.
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