Universal Resorts has announced plans to temporarily shutdown all its resorts, due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
In a statement, parent company Universal Enterprises said all of its resorts will be closed for three months from April.
However, the group reports that resort employees will be given paid leave for the three-month period.
“We expect to review this decision once every month, with a view to assess the situation and return to our normal operations at the earliest,” the statement read.
“Our primary business is hospitality. … We are amongst the Maldivian companies worst hit by the global economic downturn. However, we are working to find ways to run our operations at some level and ensure that no employee is laid off.”
Universal Resorts is a leading resort group in the Maldives that has led the development of the travel and tourism industry in the Maldives for over 46 years, playing a key part in the transformation of the country from an island nation to one of the most sought-after travel destinations in the world.
The group now operates one of the largest resort collections in the country, including properties such as Kurumba Maldives, Velassaru Maldives, Kuramathi Maldives, Baros Maldives, Kandolhu Maldives, Dhigali Maldives, Milaidhoo Island Maldives and Faarufushi Maldives.
Villa Hotels, another leading local resort operator in Maldives also suspended the operations of three of its four resorts few days ago.
