ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Swan and Dolphin Resort at Walt Disney World plans to lay off 1,136 workers, effective by November 13, according to a notice sent to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings on September 10.
What You Need To Know
- The layoffs include positions as wide-ranging as cooks to engineers
- Thousands of tourism, hospitality jobs have been lost during COVID-19 pandemic
- Resort officials say challenging business conditions will continue into 2021
- RELATED: Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Announces New Food and Wine Event
The layoffs are spread throughout a wide range of positions at the company that operates the hotels, from administrative assistants to food and resort services.
The tourism industry has been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic as people remain cautious about traveling for safety reasons, and difficult economic conditions brought on by the virus have left many people with less money to spend on entertainment.
"Since coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis began, the hospitality industry has faced many unprecedented challenges that could not have been foreseen,” Donna Stanton, market director for human resources with WHC Payroll Company, which runs the resort, said in a letter to Demings. “The crisis's impact on the industry has been historic, swift and devestating. A careful review of business forecasts shows that challenging business conditions, including historically low hotel occupancy and mounting event cancellations, will extend into 2021. Based on these forecasts, it has been determined that job eliminations are required."
The announcement comes on the heels of Disney announcing that it would not open its water parks until March 2021 — and then only one. SeaWorld also announced 1,900 layoffs earlier this week. Universal Orlando also indicated earlier this week that it would extend the furloughs of more than 5,400 employees after laying off an undisclosed number of workers in July.