Post COVID-19: The Future of Hospitality and Tourism Industry after a Shift in Travel Priorities

The presence of COVID-19 has created a significant negative impact on tourism businesses around the world including Thailand because tourists are restricted to travel to other countries due to government regulation. As a result, tourism businesses have lost much revenue from tourist spending and tourists will change their priorities when they can travel again. This study examined the recovery strategies for tourism businesses to rebuild the business volume after a shift in travel priorities in Thailand. The objectives were to 1) understand how the tourism businesses regain the business volume after a shift in travel priorities.; 2) examine how the tourism businesses deal with the challenge after the COVID-19 crisis.; 3) find out the opinions of the tourism businesses about the tourism opportunities after the COVID-19 crisis.; 4) explore the ideas on how tourism businesses will adjust or adapt to fit with a shift in travel priorities after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted by using the qualitative research method and the face-to-face semi-structured interview was used to collect data from 2 managing directors, 5 managers, and 3 lecturers with the total sample of 10 informants at hotels, travel companies, and universities in Bangkok and Samut Prakan province, Thailand from October 12, 2021, to October 20, 2021. The purposive sampling method was used to select informants for the interview and the constant comparative method was used to analyze interview data. According to the main finding, hygiene and safety are the most important priorities for tourists when they can travel again so the use of hygiene and safety protocols along with the collaboration with the public sector, the support from the government campaigns such as “we travel together” and “travel around Thailand”, the use of technologies in the operation, the use of marketing strategies, and the providing of accurate health information will ensure tourists’ confidence, stimulate demand, and lead to the rebuilding of the business volume after a shift in travel priorities. Also, crisis management strategies and risk management departments are vital for tourism businesses to deal with challenges after the crisis. The emerging trends, the use of technologies, the use of digital marketing, and the collaboration with unrelated and medical-related businesses are opportunities arising after the crisis which can be adapted by tourism businesses in their strategies to rebuild the business volume after the COVID-19 crisis. To conclude, the modification of the safety and hygiene standards is crucial for tourism businesses to fit with tourists’ travel priorities and rebuild the business volume in the post-COVID-19 pandemic