The Swiss government decided to ban large events expected to draw more than 1,000 people in a drive to curb the new coronavirus epidemic.
It did not — at least for now — apply to train stations or shopping malls, where people have only fleeting contact.
The Palexpo venue had been forced to cancel a major 10-day car show starting next week, they understood the move but said that it could cost the local economy up to 250 million Swiss francs ($256 million) in lost business.
“The economic impact for the city and region is tremendous,” said Lars Wagner, general manager of the luxury Hotel Beau-Rivage Genve.
“Not only does this impact hotels, but also auxiliary revenues such as hotel restaurant bookings, cocktail and catering events, and other revenues.”
As cancellations from guests started rolling in, another Geneva hotelier called the situation “a nightmare”.
Dozens of trade fairs and industry conferences around the world have been postponed or cancelled due to travel curbs and concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
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Dozens of trade fairs and industry conferences around the world have been postponed or cancelled due to travel curbs and concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
