THE E-TOURISM BEYOND COVID-19: A CALL FOR TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION

The upsurge of Covid-19 changed lifestyles and hit almost every sector. The tourism sector is one of the most affected sectors due to social distancing, ban on crowding, restrictions to visit public places, and grounded airplanes. The study proposed a shift to e-tourism until the Covid-19 get fully curbed. Therefore, this study aims to focus on the tourist’s experiences in Thailand during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study provides insight with the support of literature to help practitioners and researchers to understand, manage, and improve the tourism industry and induce technological transformation to curb the impact of the outbreak. The paper proposes a way to turn Covid-19 into a transformational opportunity. The study used Smart PLS software for analysis and data was collected from the tourist who had intentions to visit Thailand and the ones already in Thailand. The study fills the gap of the call for a transformation of e-tourism and explains the impact of the pandemic on the industry. The study presents the theoretical and practical implications to promote the tourism industry and the transformation of the technology in the Covid-19 pandemic