Tourism and Hospitality Management Assignment Sample
Introduction
Sudden outbreak and the onset of Covid-19 is found to impact adversely upon different sectors across the world. Tourism industry is found to be impacted unfavourably due to the prolonged persistence of pandemic situations and enforcement of strict governmental regulations. Tourism industry is found to be struggling hard to maintain its business sustainability and enhance their market growth across the globe. Thus, the following subsequent sections aim to provide a brief evaluation about the adverse consequences impact upon the global tourism industry. Comparison between different literatures that have already been published in this subject area will also be highlighted and illustrated critically.
Discussion
Tourism industry and Covid-19
The sudden outbreak of the pandemic or Covid-19 spread in 2020 is found to change drastically the way business organisations have performed previously. It is identified that business entities cooperating across the tourism industry have been struggling hard to stabilise their business growth and financial performance. Due to the enforcement of strict governmental regulations, prolonged persistence of social distancing, nationwide lockdown, restriction on travelling and others generates questions for the survival of the tourism industry. In this context Sarin (2020) highlights that the travel and tourism industry is considered as one of the worst hit sectors across the world due to the exposure of Covid-19. It is identified that millions of finance, assets and jobs are found to be at stake that negatively influence upon the business stability and growth of the tourism industry. The author also highlights the points the “Atma Nirbhar Packages” introduced by the government of India failed to serve as effective for the hospitality industry. However, the author also added that the industry has not undertaken any kind of initiatives as well to minimise the adverse consequences of Covid-19 effectively across the country. It is also identified that there are different hotel businesses across the country in Europe that maintain effective hygiene, services and quality with 40% of the staff strength that allows them to foster their market growth in this panic situation.
Gheribi and Bonadonna (2019) on the other hand mentioned that the hospitality industry could be considered as one of the largest sectors that contribute directly towards strengthening the economy of a country across the globe. It is identified that with the change in economy, business and social environment, the mentioned industry has also changed its operational activities. The author highlights that the hospitality industry is considered as one of the dynamic industries across the EU that directly contributes to strengthening the country’s economic growth and stability. Gheribi and Bonadonna (2019) highlight the Polish Hotel industry by outlining that the tourism industry across the country reached about 3.92 million tourists that accommodated in the hotels. This tourist value is found to be maximised to 20.91 million during the financial year 2017 respectively. Comparing the perspective of both the mentioned authors it can be articulated that, a strategic approach is required to be undertaken by the tourism industry across the globe in order to enhance their profit margin in this pandemic situation. For example, Gheribi and Bonadonna (2019) mentioned about the “cost leadership pricing strategy” that can serve as beneficial to minimise the overall cost as compared to the market competitors accurately. As Sarin (2020) mentioned that the pandemic situation has severely affected the tourism industry, thus, provision of affordable tourism packages could serve as effective in terms of enhancing the market share along with business growth across the mentioned industry.
According to McNeill and Nienaber (2020), architecture and morphology in today’s era is found to be the evolving concept across the hotel industry. This development is being undertaken due to the change in business environment along with consumer demands. The author mentioned that different renowned hotels such as Wyndham, Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and others are found to be dominating the mentioned industry. In contracts, considering the perspective of Sarin (2020), it can be mentioned that these hotels can also experience disparities in their operational activities due to the onset of Covid-19. Minimising of economic growth, lowing the visitors or tourist, prolonged persistence of strict government regulations are found to raise complexities for tourism industry survivals. It is identified that the unprecedented effects of business and jobs has changed the consumer perspectives towards making investment in travelling.
Consumers these days are found to show their concern towards making investment in essential products and items. This also hinders the chance of the tourism industry to enhance their sustainable growth across the global market. In this context, the perspective of Gheribi and Bonadonna (2019) can be aligned by the outline that providing active travel packages at an affordable price could generate competitiveness of tourism along with the hotel industry across the present market. In this context, Sarin (2020) mentioned that hospital and tourism associations along with players are required to conduct an intensive market research as well as consumer survey by engaging with key stakeholders. This can serve a benefit in terms of generating effective tourism packages and products for specific customers as well as a market that can bring profitability margin accurately. From the mentioned literature, it has also been identified that tourism and hotel industry players are required to work collaboratively with state as well local government. This can also serve as beneficial in terms of providing effective services facilities to the target customers. Thus, it can be mentioned that the tourism industry across the globe requires undertaking effective and immediate measures so that they could minimise the existing challenges and consequences that have been generated since the exposure of Covid-19.
Social media effectiveness on tourism industry
Proliferation of technology is found to have entirely changed the way business organisations operate previously. Every business organisation in recent times is found to be undertaking the advantages of technological advances in order to improvise their existing operations and provide convenient service facilities for the respective customers. In recent times, usage of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, YouTube and others is found to be growing rapidly by business organisations along with customers. Social media platforms are found to become one of the effective communication channels through which an organisation can interact with their target customers directly to analyse the expectation upon specific products and services. According to Wozniak et al. (2017), over the past few years the connotation of social media has been enhanced at a tremendous pace. The identified social media platforms such as YouTube or Facebook have already reacted to about 1 billion of users, which generates the urgency for business entities to maximise their presence on these platforms. The author also highlights that other emerging social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest also obtain effective popularity across the market. Most of the time, it is identified that these platforms are being utilised as effective marketing tools to perform effectively only upon consumer perceptions and their demands for specific brands, services or products.
Wozniak et al. (2017) highlights tourism organisations in recent times have been utilising these platforms in order to maximise customer engagement and retain them for a longer time. Social is found to be based on the technological and ideological function of “Web 2.0”that helps to exchange and create “User Generated Content”. In recent times it is identified that social media has been one of the most effective communication mediums through which consumers can get information about their required products, services and brand before making any kind of investment. As mentioned by Sarin (2020), due to the exposure of Covid-19, the tourism industry has drastically changed the way they interact with their customers previously. Due to the social distance and nationwide lockdown, social media or digital communication channels are found to be one of the key ways to continue the interaction process with customers. Wozniak et al. (2017) in this context highlights that social media in tourism business plays a significant role for determining demand-side perspectives based on three specific phases such as post-travel, on-site and pre-travel phase respectively. For example, in most of the cases it is identified that a tourist tries to get detailed information about the specific destination they are willing to visit. However, as mentioned by Sarin (2020), due to the pandemic situation consumers have failed to visit their preferred place due to the enforcement of strict governmental regulations. Social media in this context plays a significant role in influencing their target customers to visit their preferred destinations by concreting all the precautions. Martínez-Sala (2019) highlights the concept of eWOM has influenced financial decisions of tourists providing the confidence and credibility inspired by UGC. The author also mentioned that digital communication or social media channels have become one of the major components in the context of “Destination Marketing Organisations (DMO)”.
Social media is found to help any business organisation operating across the tourism industry to enhance their customer engagement. At the same time, it also helps to maximise their potential in terms of identifying the perspectives of customers towards travelling in the pandemic situation (Wozniak et al. 2017). Thus, it can be mentioned that social media or digital communication channels can serve as beneficial for the tourism industry to gain customer loyalty in this pandemic situation conveniently and accurately.
Influencer tourism 2.0
Sudden emergence of the covid-19 pandemic has provided a toxic impact upon the tourism and hospitality industry. The travel and tourism sector across the globe had to experience most of the drastic impacts due to this pandemic situation. This drastic impact included the attributes of rising unemployment and declining financial stability. Sarin (2020) stated that the consideration of prolonged lockdown period had also created a potential obstacle for the tourism and travel sector to maintain their business flexibility and financial feasibility. However, digital communication channels were notified to undertake a leading role in terms of collaborating people from different regions in one platform. Because of this, the attributes of influencer tourism were able to ensure distinctive growth and positive impact by considering anonymous opinions. Martínez-Sala (2019) stated that the influencer tourist 2.0 has largely emphasised on intercepting the digital channels and social networks as a sequential tool in this context.
The tourism communication strategies are largely and positively impacted by the social networks. The creation of digital communities is also playing a significant role to integrate social networks into their communication strategies. Martínez-Sala (2019) highlighted that this is also suggested as a fundamental platform for the consolidation and creation of communities concerning its brands and destinations. Valuable feedback from other respective audiences in the digital platforms is also helping to enhance the trustworthiness and accountability of tourism attributes under the shape of influencer tourism 2.0.
Despite experiencing the negative impact of covid-19 pandemic, influencer tourism 2.0 has been supportive regarding the attainment of valuable opinion of other tourists through social networks. Moreover, high levels of engagement in the social channels and platforms also open up distinctive opportunities for common people concerning important information related with integrated communication strategies. Different blog articles can be suspected in this case, which has been acting as top influencer tourists across the Spanish market (Martínez-Sala, 2019). Apart from that, the social media platforms like Facebook and others are also participating in terms of empowering the consequences of influencer tourism.
The topmost concern in this aspect defines the attributes of electronic word of mouth. Martínez-Sala (2019) defined that with the advent of the internet and specific social networks, this electronic word of mouth has been serving as an influential parameter based on which an individual might be encouraged to act similarly like the influencer. The prolonged persistence of lockdown period has also served beneficially for the destination marketing organisations by proactively communicating with their target audiences across the globe (Sarin, 2020). A leading contribution has been provided in this concern through digital communication strategies. However, the influencer tourists also pay attention to differentiate the value of tourism by integrating social networks as an integral part of their communication strategy. This fundamental platform has been opening up distinct opportunities for the worldwide consumers to be influenced according to the influencer tourist’s perception.
On the other hand, the international hotel and hospitality sector had to prevent their regular operations and business activities due to the covid-19 outbreak. In this aspect, the introduction of influencer tourism has also been providing subsequent opportunities for the hotel and hospitality service providers to efficiently communicate with their target audiences across the worldwide consumer market. Through this manner, McNeill and Nienaber (2020) depicted that the global hospitality industry began to enlarge the value of services at the tactical and strategic level. It can be also suspected as a corporate level strategy for different renowned hotels and hospitality service providers in terms of identifying their business ecosystem community. The combination of digital communication platforms has been also supportive to enlarge the effectiveness of influencer tourism by distinctively collaborating the target audience and business service providers.
Rising unemployment was another concern for the international hospitality industry due to the emergence of covid. Around 16.6 million jobs are related to the hospitality industry in Europe, which is also equivalent to 7.8 % of the entire workforce across the continent (Gheribi and Bonadonna, 2019). The Polish hotel industry has also depicted increasing tourists’ accommodation throughout the last decade. However, Sarin (2020) stated that worldwide lockdown has negatively influenced the industry due to which the industrial financial feasibility has been declining. Concerning the overall consequences, the attributes of influencer tourism can be considered as an innovative method to obtain tourist attraction and communication with target audiences throughout the global market.
Google Trends in hospitality and tourism industry
Due to the emergence of worldwide lockdown, increasing usage of internet and digital shoppers are noticed to elevate. However, traditional business activities undertaken in the tourism and hospitality industry had to experience a potential barrier due to the emergence of covid in this aspect a negative impact has been witnessed by the hospitality and tourism service providers across the globe from both the financial and non-financial perspective. Rapid development of internet access has been supportive to generate valuable information regarding an industry. During 2006, Google initiated an innovative tool namely Google trends (Dinis et al. 2019). The prime concern of this tool was to visualise the popularity of searches over the time. It can be also considered as an analytical approach based on which consumer behavioural patterns could be suspected by critically evaluating the data from the search engine of Google. However, Wozniak et al. (2017) stated that the worldwide tourism service providers are also having the option to select from a rich arsenal of marketing instruments with an intention to actively engage with their target audience. For example, the context of social media platforms can be undertaken, which might support consideration of marketing campaigns and promotional activities in order to reach their target customers. The companies also look forward to obtaining distinctive return on investment as a holy grail of social media.
The attributes of Google trends can also be applicable in the social media premises in terms of critically understanding the consumer behavioural pattern. Moreover, Dinis et al. (2019) defined that Google trends can also support decision making in tourism by clarifying relational insights and prospects of the destination. The attributes of influencer tourism can also be suspected over the concept of Google trends as valuable visitor information from Google trends can be utilised to influencer tourism 2.0. The aspect of tourism forecasting is also dependent upon Google trends data where the prospects of tourism demand can also be anticipated. Concerning the gradual rise of social media networks and platforms, the utilisation of Google trends in tourism and hospitality research might be considered as a sequential tool for ensuring customised experiences to the consumers. Dinis et al. (2019) highlighted that the inclusion of big data technologies has been helping to enlarge the accountability of Google trends in the area of hospitality and tourism research. It has been also helpful to critically understand the current market trends and consumer preferences along with their purchasing behaviour according to which seamless user experience might be generated to them.
On the other hand, the ongoing pandemic situation has been forcing the worldwide hospitality sector to completely stop their traditional business operations. During the post covid situation, Sarin (2020) stated that the hospitality industry is likely to consider brainstorming by conducting intensive market research with an intention to engage with their key stakeholders. The prime concern of this initiative is to ensure the provision of great tourism products and packages for potential customer segments with an enduring appeal. However, the attributes of Google trend analysis to consider tourism and hospitality research might at a fair value to this case by highlighting customised preferences of the worldwide consumers. Dinis et al. (2019) revealed that this analytical approach can also be expected as a great assistance for the decision-making concerns of the global hospitality and tourism service providers. According to this understanding of consumer choice and demands notified through Google trends, respective hospitality service providers might be able to arrange for suitable offerings and packages for their target audience. The total number of searches done on Google over time is also considered as a digital resource for analysing consumer trends and market demands.
Conclusion
The overall assignment has provided a distinctive comparison of literature concerning the impact of covid-19 on the tourism and hospitality industry. The sudden outbreak of this pandemic has been creating a potential obstacle for the global tourism and hospitality industry in terms of continuing their business growth and financial performance. The comparison of different articles has also disclosed significant attributes from the tourism and hospitality industry concerning the usage of social media platforms. Maximisation of customer engagement has been also dependent upon this strategy, which is also a word under the lights of user-generated content. The attributes of influencer tourism 2.0 has also emerged as an integrated solution to digitally communicate with potential consumers from different regions and countries. In this context, integration of social networks can also be suspected which is also added with a greater value with the inclusion of Google trends. This attribute is also considered as an analytical approach supporting the aspects of understanding customer trends and preferences.
References
Gheribi, E. and Bonadonna, A., 2019. The international hotels groups on the polish market–competition strategies of selected examples. Quality Management, 20 (117), 49-55.
Martínez-Sala, A.M., 2019. The influencer tourist 2.0: from anonymous tourist to opinion leader. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 74, pp. 1344-1365.
McNeill, R. and Nienaber, H., 2020. Co-Opetition: The Morphology Of Evolving Usa Corporate Hotel B2b Sales. Journal of Global Business and Technology, 16(1), pp.21-44.
Sarin, G., 2020. COVID Impact: Hospitality Redefined. [Online]. Available at: <http://www.businessworld.in/article/COVID-Impact-Hospitality-Redefined/22-06-2020-289733/> [Accessed on 22 July 2021]
Wozniak, T., Brigitte, S., Roland, S. and Andreas, L., 2017. The return on tourism organizations’ social media investments: Preliminary evidence from Belgium, France, and Switzerland. Information Technology & Tourism, 17(1), pp.75-100.
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