From bellboys and receptionists to chefs and concierges, hotel staff in Japan are likely to find they have more time to watch the Olympics than they ever expected.
A fourth COVID-19 emergency in Tokyo and a decision to bar spectators from the main athletics events have triggered a wave of hotel room cancellations. This latest setback puts further pressure on a hotel industry that bet big on the Summer Games serving as a springboard for Japan’s wider economic goal of attracting 40 million overseas visitors a year.
While large hotel chains with deep cash reserves can pace themselves for the long-run and a post-COVID-19 upturn in fortunes, for smaller operators the pandemic-hit Olympic dream is already testing their business stamina as bankruptcies in the sector pick up.