Challenges in the Tourism Industry During COVID-19 Pandemic in Kosovo

Abstract

From March 2020 to early June 2020, Kosovo introduced various travel restriction measures for foreign nationals, including entry bans, closure of land and air border crossings, two-week quarantine, and self-isolation. From March to May, the country was almost completely blocked, where the activities of the tourism industry were strictly prohibited while businesses encountered great difficulties to operate and provide services, the number of jobseekers in the country increased significantly, precisely because of the cessation of activities, because this sector is considered to be one of the sectors that contributes the most to employment in our country, despite the fact that some of these businesses are family businesses. A significant number of employees in these sectors in our country may lose their jobs, as a result of the situation created, and this will further deepen the tourism industry, mainly due to the decline in the volume of remittances and tourism diaspora in Kosovo. While restrictive measures may have had a positive impact on curbing the spread of the virus, and preventing the escalation of the health crisis, the effect and consequences of closing the economy for months is severe for the tourism industry.

Tourism and Sustainable Development Opportunities in the Municipality of Istog - Republic of Kosovo

“…If you really want to experience the world of mountains by walking, running or camping, the mountains of Istog offer you this opportunity where all the paths are marked, marked and digitized according to international mountaineering standards. During the pandemic, tourism has been one of the most affected sectors, it was not even possible to stay in nature (Kuqi et al, 2021). In recent years, the awareness of nature has increased significantly ( Ramandani 2013).…”

Reactions of Family Businesses to the Initial Effects of Pandemic Shock

“…Following employment reduction, the revenue of business entities was estimated to drop not only at the beginning of the pandemic shock but also over a longer period of time (González & Pérez-Uribe, 2021;Kraus et al, 2020;Kuqi et al, 2021;OECD, 2021). Investigating this matter answered Q2 in our research.…”

“…The opening months of 2020 turned out to be a period that surprised much of the world. The rapidly spreading SARS-CoV-2 virus (Anwar & Clauß, 2021;Bretas & Alon, 2020) posed a threat to life and health, though the indirect effect of the COVID-19 pandemic was primarily an economic shock (Kuqi et al, 2021). This slowdown resulted from the lockdowns and restrictions introduced by the governments of most countries, which often resulted in the shutdown of companies from various industries in both the short and long term (Le Breton-Miller & Miller, 2021).…”

The Changes in the Travel Characteristics Due to Corona Virus Pandemic: A Case Study in Al-Qadisiyah Governorate, Iraq

“…Unprecedented strategies have been taken by a number of countries to limit social interaction and reduce the spread of the virus, including the closure of schools, stores, restaurants, and government institutions, the ban on public gatherings, and the imposed of working from home [19]. In Cosovo, restrictions on mobility have led to a sharp reduction in commercial activity, while on the other, the complete closure of numerous industries has left many workers without jobs [20]. In the northern city of Santander, a researchers study the effect of lockdown or quarantine policies on urban transportation.…”