Three major hotel chains yesterday launched a joint campaign to aid their coronavirus-affected businesses by giving employees NT$100 million (US$3.31 million) of hotel vouchers.
L’Hotel de Chine Group (LDC, 雲朗觀光), Hotel Royal Group (老爺大酒店集團) and Caesar Park Hotels and Resorts (凱撒飯店) teamed up to prevent a further decline in business as foreign tourist arrivals have come to a virtual standstill amid travel restrictions and health worries.
“We decided to set aside competition and join forces to prop up the industry is bearing the brunt of diminished economic activity,” LDC president Emile Sheng (盛治仁) told a news conference at Caesar Metro Taipei Hotel (台北凱達大飯店).
Photo: CNA
The stimulus campaign could generate NT$500 million in tourism revenue by encouraging employees to visit their properties, Sheng said.
That estimate could increase if other local businesses give similar incentives to employees who cannot travel abroad, as nations have shut their borders to foreign visitors, Sheng said.
Marketing teams from the hotel chains are to contact corporate welfare committees to bring more companies on board, Sheng said.
Taipei hotels have been the hardest hit by COVID-19, with average occupancy rates slumping to fewer than 10 percent due to their heavy reliance on international business travelers and individual tourists.
Caesar Metro president Gary Pi (皮金營) said that he no longer checks daily operating reports, the first thing he used to do every day prior to the coronavirus crisis.
Infection worries have prompted companies to avoid organizing business conferences, meetings or banquets, leaving large banquet rooms empty, Pi said.
Hotel Royal Group CEO Winston Shen (沈方正) said that local individual tourists are its sole source of customers, as the numer of tour groups has dropped to zero.
Domestic travel is safe, as the virus outbreak in Taiwan is mild, Shen said, adding that hotels from the three groups have adopted strict hygiene standards.
Companies such as Taiwan Cement Corp (台灣水泥), Chia Hsin Cement Corp (嘉新水泥), Fu Tsu Construction Co (互助營造) and Hung Kuo Group (宏國集團) have rallied behind the campaign.
Separately, Formosa International Hotels Corp (晶華酒店) yesterday launched a series of training programs to improve housekeeping services, as well as hygiene requirements.
Chairman Steve Pan (潘思亮) said that he had planned such courses and is now taking advantage of the slow business to upgrade its competitiveness.
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