Boycott: The front entrance of The Dorchester, owned by the Sultan of Brunei. Photo / Chris J Ratcliffe, Getty Images
Boycott: The front entrance of The Dorchester, owned by the Sultan of Brunei. Photo / Chris J Ratcliffe, Getty Images
Following public outcry in response to the implementation of new Islamic laws that make gay sex and adultery punishable by stoning to death, Brunei-owned hotels have been forced to hide their social media accounts.
On Wednesday, New Islamic criminal laws took effect in Brunei that triggered an outcry from countries, rights groups and celebrities far beyond the tiny Southeast Asian nation's shores.
Brunei first announced the measures in 2013 but implementation has been delayed in the face of opposition by rights groups and as officials worked out the practical details.
Celebrities including Elton John, right, and George Clooney, left, called for a boycott of hotels owned by the Sultan of Brunei, centre. Photo / Getty Images
In response to the law being introduced, celebrities including Elton John, George Clooney and Ellen DeGeneres made a desperate plea and called on people to boycott hotels around the world owned by the Sultan of Brunei.
Now, a growing number of luxury hotels owned by the kingdom of Brunei have hidden their social media accounts, according to CNN.
The list of hotels under the Dorchester Collection brand include Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, The Beverley Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, The Dorchester and 45 Park Lane in London, Coworth Park in Ascot, Le Meurice and Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, Hotel Eden in Rome and Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan.
"Dorchester Collection is an inclusive and diverse company and does not tolerate any form of discrimination," the company said in a statement pinned on its corporate Twitter and Facebook accounts.
"Although we believe in open and transparent communication, we have reluctantly deactivated our hotel social pages due to the personal abuse directed at our employees for whom we have a duty of care.
"Our corporate social media pages remain in place. Dorchester Collection's code (emphasises) equality, respect and integrity in all areas of our operation and strongly values people and cultural diversity among our guests and employees," the company's statement reads.
On its website, the Dorchester Collection says "our values are far removed from the politics of ownership", underlining its values of "inclusion, diversity and equality".
Boycott: TV personality Ellen Degeneres published a list of hotels owned by Brunei's Sultan. Photo / George Pimentel, Getty Images
"We understand people's anger and frustration but this is a political and religious issue that we don't believe should be played out in our hotels and among our 3630 employees. We're deeply saddened by what's happening right now and the impact it is having on our employees, guests, partners and suppliers in particular," the message reads.
The introduction of the "barbaric" Islamic penal code on Wednesday is in stark contrast to the Imagine Brunei campaign that talks about the "four pillars of Brunei's tourism" that "offer a unique blend of modern refinement, scenic culture, cultural reverence and majestic opulence for the discerning traveller".
"With recent increases in manpower and expertise, including the hiring of international tourism consultants, and a clear strategy with ambitious but feasible goals, Brunei Tourism is working to market its undiscovered tourism potential in the competitive regional tourism market," the campaign states.
The hotels have been forced to hide their social media accounts following public outcry. Photo / Supplied
Last month, the state-owned Royal Brunei Airlines also announced it would be stepping up its marketing push in the bid to entice tourists, according to travel site Skift.
"There is much speculation that tourism will suffer. Already an Australian lobby group is pressing the government to revoke Royal Brunei Airlines' landing rights in Australia, calling on Melbourne Airport to halt the acceptance of flights from Royal Brunei and for travel agents to stop selling the airline's flights," Benjamin Ryberg, director of research at The Lawfare Project, told Fox News.
