Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic crisis has had direct effects on social relationships. Tourism activities are by definition linked to the interaction among human beings, beginning with a physical movement of a person from a habitually-frequented environment to one or more destinations. Any denial of mobility, therefore, negates the tourist experience. After briefly discussing the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the tourism system and hospitality, this work presents a qualitative survey by means of a thematic analysis approach. The study investigates tourism professionals operating in Sicily, across different tourism sectors and in various segments of the market (cultural, luxury, nautical, rural, and slow tourism). The operators were asked questions about their experiences of the pandemic, with its negative impact, and their expectations and prospects. The abilities to adapt to the new normal and build resilience are often related to offering sustainable products and services, which are characterized by a more robust relationship with the territory and local economy.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic erupted worldwide in the first few months of 2020 with far-reaching consequences and powerful effects on all human activities
Several articles focused on different aspects of the hospitality industry and tourism economics at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, including issues related with travel behaviors and preference of customers, safety and health, market demand changes, loss of jobs, prospects for recovery of the hospitality industry, etc (Fotiadis, Polyzos, and Huan, 2021; Jeon and Yang, 2021; Wassler and Talarico, 2021; Qiu et al, 2020; Sharma, Thomas and Paul, 2021; Kock et al, 2020)
Careful observation of the 15 sub-themes led to three dominant themes; they were encoded as adaptability, new security protocols, and concerns for the future
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic erupted worldwide in the first few months of 2020 with far-reaching consequences and powerful effects on all human activities. The motivation for this work has arisen from the need to engage with tour operators and those in the hospitality sector by asking them to recount their reactions in dealing with the crisis, including significant perceived threats. That the effects of the pandemic crisis have severely affected the tourism industry cannot be denied, even if it would appear that they have merely accelerated changes already underway These changes include: a growing demand for tourism linked to issues of environmental, social, and economic sustainability and a retraction from processes of tourism massification; and more scrupulous attention to the quality of the tourist experience, respecting the relationship between host and guest
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