Expectations of Travel Agency Customers in Poland Regarding the Services Offered to Them During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Purpose. The aim of the study is to present the expectations of travel agency customers in Poland with regard to the offered tourist product, and to conduct an analysis of changes in these expectations after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the objective is to identify the conditions necessary to be met by travel entrepreneurs who want people to use their services, despite the awareness of the risks resulting from the outbreak of the pandemic.Method. The research carried out using the diagnostic survey concerned expectations towards the tourist offer during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research tool was a questionnaire consisting of 15 questions, in the form of an online survey distributed via the Facebook social networking site. The respondents were adults who had a profile on Facebook. The survey was anonymous and voluntary. In total, 300 correctly completed questionnaires were collected.Findings. In the study, it was shown that the importance of the practices commonly used on the tourism market increased under the influence of threats that were revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been proven that knowing the behaviour and requirements of potential customers makes it easier to create a tourist offer, which allows to reach a wider, more diverse group of recipients.Research and conclusion limitations. The research concerns only potential customers of travel agencies who have an account on the Facebook social networking site.Practical implications. The results may constitute a general pattern of a potential travel agency customer and his/her perception of the offer in relation to the new post-pandemic reality on the tourist market, which may suggest a way for companies to deal with a customer who is aware of the risks associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.Originality. A large number of analysed characteristics (18) generalised in a way that can be identifi ed in the case of most travel agencies that were confronted with each other in terms of the result before and after the outbreak of the COVID- 19 pandemic. The results are also a kind of collection of opinions of potential customers, the analysis of which is easy to read by entrepreneurs who can use it in the event of similar events in the future.Type of paper. An article presenting the results of empirical research.