The COVID-19 pandemic and guesthouses in South Africa: Economic impacts and recovery measures

Sucheran, Reshma

doi:10.1080/0376835x.2021.2003758

Cited by 21 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Napierała et al (2020) examined how the geographic distribution of COVID cases impacted hotel performance in Polish cities. Sucheran (2021, 2022) examined COVID’s economic impacts on hotels and guesthouses in South Africa. However, these various studies were all focused on hotel performance only.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of business models and state regulations on the accommodation sector: theory and empirical evidence from the recent pandemic

Doğru

Mody

Hanks

et al. 2023

IJCHM

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Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on key performance metrics of accommodation properties by elaborating on the roles of business models (i.e. franchised, chain-managed and independent hotels, and the sharing economy) and state-level restrictions in the US. Design/methodology/approach The pandemic is considered a variable interference against the average daily rate, occupancy and revenue per available room, which permits the examination of the before and after effects of the pandemic. The panel data model is used to examine the effect of the recent pandemic on the accommodation sector in the USA. Findings The results showed that chain-managed hotels were the most adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, while independent hotels were the least adversely impacted. Interestingly, and consistent with emerging consumer needs suggested by spatial distance theory, the pandemic does not have significant negative effects on Airbnb. The adverse impact of the pandemic on hotels was exacerbated in more restrictive states, while Airbnb remained immune to regulatory differences. Research implications This study addresses the dearth of research on the types, roles and efficacy of business models in the accommodation industry and makes important theoretical contributions to the study of business model resilience in the accommodation industry, leveraging the resource-based theory of the firm and spatial distance theory. Originality The findings of this study make a significant contribution to the extant literature on the resilience of business models in the accommodation industry and have important implications for hotels, Airbnb owners, accommodation brands and destination and health policymakers. They demonstrate that a lower level of corporate control and greater flexibility in brand and operational standards allow for a more effective response to business disruptions such as a global pandemic.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of business models and state regulations on the accommodation sector: theory and empirical evidence from the recent pandemic

Doğru

Mody

Hanks

et al. 2023

IJCHM

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“…The Department of Tourism also assisted businesses with relief funds and for restaurants, the Eat Out restaurant relief fund was available. In a study by Sucheran (2021b) on the impact and recovery strategies on guesthouses, it is recorded that the participants felt that the "Tourism Relief Fund and other regulatory relief were highly inadequate to the needs of financially distressed businesses".…”

Section: The Impact Of the Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

What innovations would enable hospitality in South Africa to rebuild?

Nyathela

Septoe

Menze

et al. 2022

WHATT

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PurposeThis paper aims to address the following questions: What is the impact of the pandemic on the hospitality industry in South Africa? Which innovations and strategies are in place to rebuild hospitality in South Africa?Design/methodology/approachThis article emanates from the resent pandemic situation, and it is structured to include conceptual information drawn from the literature, empirical study and industry observation. These were conducted in 2020 and 2021 using, concepts from the literature, online questionnaires and observation to gather data about the impact of COVID-19 on hospitality operations across South Africa.FindingsHistorically literature shows that the hospitality industry positively impacts the economy and employment However, the pandemic greatly affected these contributions. The findings reported in the empirical study revealed that the pandemic affected business operations and employment and caused financial hardship for the industry.Originality/valueThere are relatively few studies that report on the issues relating to the pandemic and the hospitality industry in South Africa. This paper contributes to the literature regarding a pre-COVID-19 overview, the impact of the pandemic and the innovations and strategies in place to rebuild the hospitality industry.

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“…In recent decades, guesthouses have become increasingly popular as they are perceived as alternatives to mass tourism such as sustainable tourism, communitybased tourism, ecotourism, farm-stay, or agrotourism. While their share of the tourism industry varies from place to place, they are found in very diverse settings across the globe, in towns as well as in rural areas, in lowlands, islands and coasts, as well as in uplands and mountains (Sucheran 2022, moSwete et al 2019, daLLen & teye 2009, debarbieux 2014. count by far for the largest visitor group.…”

Section: Box 1: Guesthouses In a Global Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

The rise of guesthouse tourism in the Greater Caucasus and the effects of the covid pandemic. The example of Lagodekhi town and its Protected Area, Georgia

Schmid¹,

Gugushvili²,

Köhler³

2022

Erdkunde

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In Georgia, tourism has become a key sector of the economy, especially since the country opened up for private investment after independence in 1991. Guesthouses, the focus of this paper, present a typical example of such private investment. In dealing with this sector, we adopt a synoptic view, and look into development over time, services offered, motives for hosting guests, outcomes, and the effects of the COVID pandemic. Geographically, our focus is on the town of Lagodekhi and its Protected Area (PA) on the foot slope of the Greater Caucasus. Our methods included a review of literature, followed by a questionnaire survey in 2018 among all 23 guesthouses in the town, covering qualitative as well as quantitative aspects of the sector. To follow up on the effects of the pandemic, which reached the area in 2020, we did a re-survey among all houses in June 2021. The results show that all guesthouses are owner-occupied and family-run, with women taking the lead, following traditional gendered labour division. The owners see themselves as paid service providers but also as hosts, who offer insights into local culture free of charge based on traditional hospitality. We posit that this dual role is a unique selling proposition, distinguishing the sector from mass tourism, and presenting an ideal complement to the nature-based attractions of the PA. The COVID pandemic led to an almost total collapse of this sector, especially relating to foreign guests, by far the most numerous visitor group. But the guesthouses remain positive about the future and continue to invest in their houses. To conclude our paper, we present ideas relating to the future of guesthouse tourism in the study area, based on experience before and with the pandemic.

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The COVID-19 pandemic and guesthouses in South Africa: Economic impacts and recovery measures

Cited by 21 publications

References 17 publications

The impact of business models and state regulations on the accommodation sector: theory and empirical evidence from the recent pandemic

The impact of business models and state regulations on the accommodation sector: theory and empirical evidence from the recent pandemic

What innovations would enable hospitality in South Africa to rebuild?

The rise of guesthouse tourism in the Greater Caucasus and the effects of the covid pandemic. The example of Lagodekhi town and its Protected Area, Georgia

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