Covid-19: #Dubai May Lose a Third of Its Hotel Jobs in Crisis - Bloomberg

Covid-19: Dubai May Lose a Third of Its Hotel Jobs in Crisis - Bloomberg:

Dubai’s hotel occupancy has plummeted since the outbreak of the coronavirus and about 30% of workers in the industry will probably lose their jobs, according to research firm STR Global.

About 43,000 hotel rooms, about a third of the total, will probably remain closed until September as most owners channel reservations into fewer properties to save on operating costs, Philip Wooller, Middle East and Africa director at STR Global, said in an interview. The industry employs about 40,000 people, he estimated.

The job-loss estimate is a “minimum” Wooller said. “Otherwise you’re asking the owners to reach into their own pockets and, while some might do that, others won’t be able to afford it.”