Beyond simple messaging: a review of crisis communication research in hospitality and tourism

Abstract

Purpose Crisis communication is an essential component of crisis management in hospitality and tourism. Yet few studies have offered a clear impression of the state of knowledge in this area. As one of the early conceptual attempts, this study aims to contribute to the existing knowledge by analyzing, comparing and synthesizing the literature in crisis communication and hospitality and tourism research. This study also proposes a transactional and dynamic crisis communication model that lays the conceptual foundation for future research. Design/methodology/approach This study was guided by a theory synthesis approach and analyzed the related literature. More specifically, this study conducted a rapid review of the general crisis communication research and a conventional, systematic review of crisis communication research in hospitality and tourism. Based on the review findings, this study further develops a transactive and dynamic crisis communication model in hospitality and tourism, which is fundamental for future studies in this area. Findings The findings of this study are presented through a literature review of general crisis communication research and crisis communication research in hospitality and tourism and the development of a transactive and dynamic crisis communication model in hospitality and tourism. Research limitations/implications This study reviews the literature and develops an integrated model for crisis communication in hospitality and tourism. The findings of this study lay the conceptual foundation for crisis communication in hospitality and tourism and reveal future research venues. Practical implications By offering a state-of-the-art review and developing an integrated conceptual model, the findings of this study can help bridge the gaps between academics and practices as well as serve as references for practitioners to identify and develop effective crisis responses. Originality/value This paper represents an early effort to review crisis communication research in hospitality and tourism and conceptualize the subject area through an integrated model. The findings of this study contribute to the further conceptual development of crisis communication in hospitality and tourism.

Breaking waves: A bibliometric odyssey on crisis communication in tourism and hospitality (1980–2022) and paving the path for future research

“…Our findings validate the influence of external events, as evidenced by peaks in the scientific literature, consistent with Chen (2006). Liu‐Lastres (2022) further confirmed that the THCCR is topic‐driven. Our findings support the notion that the evolution of THCCR is contingent on crises, as indicated in Supporting Information: Table , which outlines the major crisis types addressed in tourism studies during each peak.…”

“…Being a highly vulnerable industry, tourism is continuously subject to minor and/or major crises. Hence, it is not surprising that tourism and hospitality crisis communication research (THCCR) has garnered significant attention from scholars over the years (Liu‐Lastres, 2022). However, the growth of tourism crisis communication research over the years has resulted in a fragmented knowledge base (Liu‐Lastres, 2022).…”

“…Hence, it is not surprising that tourism and hospitality crisis communication research (THCCR) has garnered significant attention from scholars over the years (Liu‐Lastres, 2022). However, the growth of tourism crisis communication research over the years has resulted in a fragmented knowledge base (Liu‐Lastres, 2022). In addition, it appears that research development in THCCR is closely related to the emergence of crises in tourism (Sampaio et al, 2022; Ülker et al, 2022) such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), COVID‐19, crisis management and economic recession.…”

Examining employees' affective and behavioral responses to internal crisis communication in times of COVID-19

“…Communication is an essential part of crisis management, and recently, crisis communication has emerged as a specific research domain in hospitality and tourism ( Liu-Lastres, 2022 ). Crisis communication can be categorized into two types: external crisis communication, which primarily focuses on external audiences and aims to protect the reputation and image of the organization, and internal crisis communication, which mainly concerns internal stakeholders such as employees ( Heide and Simonsson, 2021 ).…”

“…Consistently, studies have found that hospitality and tourism organizations' internal communication with employees during COVID-19 is beneficial in that these communication behaviors enhance employee resilience ( Tuan, 2021 ) and organizational trust ( Guzzo et al, 2021 ). However, despite its importance, very few studies have examined this issue through the theoretical lenses of internal crisis communication ( Liu-Lastres, 2022 ). In addition, extant studies ( Guzzo et al, 2021 , Tuan, 2021 ) have not thoroughly investigated employees' behavioral responses, such as turnover intentions.…”