Given the global impact of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) on the tourism industry, crisis management has once again become a hot topic for research. This article reviews the state of the art in the existing literature on crisis management frameworks in tourism and hospitality through a meta-analysis approach. A total of 36 articles published in peer-reviewed journals between January 2000 and December 2022 were included in this review. The articles covered perspectives of different crisis events, including natural disasters, conflicts, weather-related events and pandemics. The findings show 14 key crisis management frameworks developed in past literature. These findings are critically reviewed, analysing their core concepts in each stage and highlighting their common elements and differentiating components. The study also recognizes the relevance of adopting a multi-perspective approach and proactive planning in crisis management for destinations and tourism organizations to achieve long-term resilience. Lastly, suggestions and directions for future research in this research field are pointed out.

The contemporary history of tourism has been shaken by different types of crises as natural disasters, economic crises, terrorist attacks and pandemics, resulting in economic, political and social implications that impact the tourist destination, the volume and direction of tourist flows (Ritchie, 2008; Speakman and Sharpley, 2012). In early 2020, COVID-19 took the world by surprise, causing a worldwide pandemic in just a few months. The dimension of this outbreak coupled to the mobility that characterizes tourism in the 21st century, now raises a need for reflection on the arrising and control of future pandemics.  Several models of crisis management in tourism are presented in the scientific literature, however, all of generalist nature. It is urgent to examine and refine the existing crisis management models, since the models already developed have little specificity in the theme of pandemic crisis management in tourism.