Al-nafisi: 60% Of Hotels In Kuwait Are Closed Due To Corona

13 October 2020 Coronavirus

Arabic local newspaper Alanba reported that Chairman of the Union of Hotel Owners, Ghazi Al-Nafisi, said that the Corona crisis has completely paralyzed the tourism sector in general and resulted in unprecedented losses that continue to this day, as 42 hotels in Kuwait incur losses amounting to 17.8 million dinars per month from their operating revenues.

Al-Nafisi added in a special statement to Al-Anbaa that 60% of hotels in Kuwait are closed so far and do not work, due to the inability to open them in the current period, especially since the airport is still not operating at its usual capacity, and hotels depend mainly on tourists and foreign visitors. Most of the hotel occupations at the present time that are operating do not exceed 5%, stressing that the situation continues as it is and with the increasing news circulating about the closure again during the coming period, it may be a fatal blow to hotel owners.

He pointed out that the reluctance of those in Kuwait to book hotels is due to many reasons, especially with the application of health measures followed by hotels, including closing swimming pools, banning parties, seminars and conferences, in addition to the continued prevention of gatherings and buffets during breakfast, lunch and dinner, and sufficiency by hotels. Providing meals to residents only through room service, it is expected that these procedures will continue until further notice.

Al-Nafisi explained that his group owns 4 hotels, three of which are closed to date, which warns of crises that may face this sector in the future, especially since its workers may face a problem in continuing their work, especially since the losses continue on a monthly basis in light of the current conditions, as many have been forced From hotels and restaurants in Kuwait to reducing the salaries of their employees and giving them up to 3 months leave to reduce the financial losses incurred by the precautionary measures.

He pointed out that the damage was not limited to the hotel sector only, but also extended to many other productive and service sectors such as food, transportation, construction, maintenance and others.

Al-Nafisi hoped that the next stage will be positive for the hotel sector, especially in the event of the reopening of direct flights with the banned countries, and subjecting those coming from them to institutional quarantine in Kuwaiti hotels, instead of hotels in Dubai, Turkey and others.

It is worth noting that the hotels, since their return to work within the third phase of the Cabinet’s plan to return to normal life, have taken many measures and measures related to ensuring the safety of both guests and workers alike using the latest technologies currently available in the market, whether from scanners or thermal cameras. It can verify temperatures and a preliminary diagnosis for all those present in the hotel as a kind of prevention and precaution, and put the health aspect above all considerations, but that did not bear fruit in trying to stop the continuous losses in this sector.

 

Source: Alanba

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