Tourism, the hotel industry at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The tourism industry is especially sensitive to a pandemic and other unexpected circumstances as natural disasters, war, terrorist attacks. Different types of crisis bring various consequences. In 2020 the outbreak of the COVID-19 disease and travel restrictions caused bruises to the tourism and hospitality industries. Hotel managers, hotel staff and their guests had to take a series of measures to deal with various challenges and face a new situation. This paper aims to critically examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism and hotel industries and discuss some possible survival strategies to be implemented in the hotel sector during the pandemic crisis (in the short and long-term perspective). The research was based on an overview of the relevant literature and sanitary rules developed by UN WHO, local governments and the hotel industry. The authors critically investigated some available statistic data to compare room occupancy before the pandemic and during the COVID-19 crisis and hospitality services offered to hotel guests before the pandemic and after its outbreak. The main findings are presented from several dimensions: hotel and health crisis, sanitary restrictions and possible recovery recommendations.