Sinking houseboats and swaying home stays: community resilience and local impacts of COVID-19 in managing tourism crisis in Kerala

Abstract

Purpose The tourism sector of the state of Kerala in India is highly vulnerable and has been extensively impacted by the global pandemic disaster. This paper aims to analyze the impact of COVID-19 (Corona virus pandemic) on houseboat operators and homestay managers. Design/methodology/approach This paper indicates a multi-stakeholder assessment method to examine various pandemic disaster facets through a structured discussion with different destination stakeholders. This study examines qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews from homestay owners, houseboat operators and government designators in Kerala. This study proposes a conceptual community resilience competency framework that could facilitate speedy crisis management responses. In this study, the sample comprises of nine respondents who play a pivotal role in the travel business, comprising the public sector, private sector, NGO's and community leaders. Findings The qualitative findings identify India’s and the state of Kerala's roles in handling crisis management scenarios over internal strategies and strategy formulation. The results indicate that the supplementary industry practitioners explore tactical and strategic management initiatives to sustain their businesses. The dynamics of stakeholder engagement adopted by the state is given prominence. Originality/value This study suggests mechanisms to re-establish the brand image and the possible strategies and suggestions that could help in the survival of the Kerala tourism industry in the post-disaster period. The “new normal” has been substantiated in the study by incorporating strategies and precautionary methods adopted by the homestay and houseboat operators so as to address the guests' safety concerns.

Local Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the Urban Tourism-Related Services: A Perspective of Kochi Heritage City, Kerala

“…It is also confirmed by the study of Varghese et al [25] on the tourism business crisis in Kerala, which reported a huge decline in tourism revenue compared to the pre-pandemic era (refer to Table 4). Hence, it is suggested that, for hotel industry crisis management in post-pandemic recovery, service providers could provide supplementary accommodation choices as an alternate solution to accomplish the goal of tourism success [25]. This result expresses the serious effects of COVID-19 on tourism-related sectors on a global scale [54].…”

“…It has adverse effects from the pandemic in terms of unemployment, socioeconomic depression, bankruptcy, revenue loss, and other budget deficits [24]. Therefore, the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism-related services in Kochi Heritage City, Kerala, is considered a major concern because the crisis has expressed a wide range of local economic downturns and thus has shown a profound effect on the local urban ecosystem [15,25].…”

“…The most adverse effect of COVID-19 is not only limited to destruction for the travel and tourism industry but also to tourism-related services and their supporting sectors [1]. Some researchers have mentioned that, in Kerala, the hardest impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been more distressful on the workers of hospitality and tourism-related services such as performing arts and entertainment, restaurants, motels, and hotel businesses, art and craft industries, and other related local markets in comparison to other tertiary jobs like administrative and programming [15,25], thus resulting in increased inequalities and poverty at the highest risk in the region [24]. It is supported by Gössling, who stated that, in developing economies, the negative impact of the crisis is greater on the tourism-related supporting sectors [26].…”

Pandemic-Induced Crises in Tourism and Hospitality – An Indian Context

“…In the first quarter of 2022, it is unclear if the COVID-2019 is here to stay. The situation is dynamic and any future projection is short-lived in the pandemic scenario (Varghese et al, 2022). Any business strategy to recover from the slumber has to be a collective behavior of the industry through coordinated action taken at macro and micro levels.…”