Lombok hotels lay off employees

Lombok hotels lay off employees

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: Residents on Lombok island are
starting to feel the impact of the religious riots which recently
swept the area as hotels and other businesses have begun laying
off employees due to the drastic drop in tourists.

"The hotels had to dismiss their employees because no domestic
or foreign tourists have visited the island since the riots broke
out on Jan. 17," West Nusa Tenggara Governor Harun Al Rasyid said
on Friday.

Antara reported that about half of the hotels and restaurants
in Lombok had to fire some of their employees.

A hotel in the Senggigi beach area with 125 employees
reportedly had to let go about 100 of them.

Tourism had become a major source of revenue for the island,
which is adjacent to Bali.

Last year over 300,000 tourists visited Lombok. (04)