6 Aug 2012

French Polynesia hotel closure a "catastrophe"

6:35 am on 6 August 2012

A leading French Polynesian union says the announced closure of Tahiti's Sofitel hotel is a catastrophe.

The union, O oe to oe Rima, has been in meetings with the hotel management and the President, Oscar Temaru, after it became known late last week that the financially struggling hotel would close.

The hotel has reportedly lost about 10 million US dollars since 2006 as tourist arrival numbers are down to levels of the mid 1990s.

No date has been given for the closure and more talks will be held in two days about the fate of the 105 employees set to lose their jobs.