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500 staff are to lose their jobs with the announcement that the luxury Bintan Lagoon Resort in Indonesia's Riau archipelago is to close.

Closing after 26 years of operations, the 450-room, five-star resort - which has two 18-hole golf courses - is, according to TTG Asia, ending operations having sustained losses over the past two years with its financial situation deteriorating further during the current Coronavirus pandemic.

Sprawled over 300 hectare of beachfront gardens and consisting of 450 rooms, suites and villas, Bintan Lagoon Resort is the largest integrated resort in Bintan Regency, Riau Islands.

Billed as “a tropical lifestyle destination that offers a medley of unforgettable experiences for leisure, golf and MICE groups”, its location - a 60-minute ferry ride from Singapore – had once made it a highly successful destination as a popular getaway for Singaporeans.

While the resort is closing, a Bintan Tourism Office spokesperson told The Straits Times this week that the rest of the resorts and hotels in the Lagoi area remain in operation serving domestic tourists.

As well as 10 resorts on the island, Bintan offers golf courses, nature trails and entertainment outlets and has hosted international events like the Bintan Ironman, Bintan Triathlon and Tour de Bintan – each of which have been postponed this year.

Tour de Bintan, a cycling event, usually sees more than 1,500 international participants and twice the number of visitors to the island, said Mr Buralimar.

The Jakarta Post reported last month that the pandemic has wiped out close to US$6 billion of Indonesia's tourism revenue so far this year, while more than 95% of workers in the tourism sector have been furloughed without pay.

Images: Bintan Lagoon Resort (top) and the Resort’s Ian Baker-Finch-designed Woodland Course (below), Courtesy of Bintan Lagoon Resort.

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