Responding to the coronavirus pandemic: emerging issues and challenges for Indian hospitality and tourism businesses

Abstract

PurposeThe coronavirus pandemic has triggered a paradigm shift in all businesses, and given the restrictions that followed, hospitality and tourism has been significantly affected. This article identifies some emerging issues and trends in hospitality and tourism businesses related to this, and in so doing, it introduces the theme issue.Design/methodology/approachThe article draws on recent reports and articles and on several rounds of discussion between academics, practitioners and other stakeholders to identify the issues arising, which are then explored in the articles featured in this theme issue.FindingsThe study findings reveal that the pandemic response has prompted advances in technology, profit management, training, service blueprinting and online education, coupled with industry integration, sustainability practices, housekeeping services, medical tourism and virtual tourism among others.Originality/valueThe theme issue sought to address the real-life issues that are impacting hospitality and tourism in India and some of the wider implications. This exploratory work is based on inputs from industry professionals, policymakers and other stakeholders in relation to the emerging issues and the formulation of strategies to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on hospitality and tourism businesses in India.

Coping mechanisms of Philippine tourism and hospitality family businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a non-parametric approach

“…tourism contributes to 21% of Jordan's gross domestic product [GDP]), tourism SMEs coped by utilizing strategies such as transitioning to digitalization, restructuring organizational culture and enhancing internal communication in business operations, along with taking advantage of government support. Complementing these strategies, Sanjeev and Tiwari (2021) found that tourism and hospitality businesses in India coped by advancing their respective business operations. These businesses engaged in several trainings to enhance housekeeping services and to better apply sustainability practices in their operations.…”

Factors influencing university students in conducting ecotourism

“…It seems that rural and natural tourist activities will become increasingly attractive in the future (Li et al, 2021) not only because they are considered safer than other forms of mass tourism but also because people are more environmentally aware. This may be related to a perception that the pandemic was partly the result of environmental despoilation (Carvache-Franco et al, 2022;Chi, 2022;Sanjeev and Tiwari, 2021). Meanwhile, the increased use of virtuality, especially amongst young people, has led to a lesser intention to engage in physical tourism, ecotourism included (Bui et al, 2021;Sanjeev and Tiwari, 2021).…”

“…This may be related to a perception that the pandemic was partly the result of environmental despoilation (Carvache-Franco et al, 2022;Chi, 2022;Sanjeev and Tiwari, 2021). Meanwhile, the increased use of virtuality, especially amongst young people, has led to a lesser intention to engage in physical tourism, ecotourism included (Bui et al, 2021;Sanjeev and Tiwari, 2021). At the same time, some scholars have argued that young people can integrate digital and virtual tourism with sustainable tourism and ecotourism, given their empathy with both trends (Sfodera et al, 2022).…”

Tourism Sustainability and COVID-19 Pandemic: Is There a Positive Side?

“…One of the key efforts to foster safe corridors and sustainable tourism amid COVID-19 was the creation of a "travel bubble", an agreement between two or more neighboring countries to allow citizens to travel amongst themselves without quarantining [48]. Other efforts include the promotion of live streaming experiences [49], medical tourism [50], regional tourism [31], virtual tourism [50,51], staycation programs [52,53], "untact" tourism [54,55], and the expansion of creative tourism in rural areas within the purview of sustainable development [17] to mitigate the tremendous impacts of the pandemic on the global tourism industry.…”