Measures and strategies adopted by hospitality in Portugal during pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented crisis in the accommodation sector. In Portugal, there was a drop of almost 70% in total income from the hotel industry during 2020. Semi-structured interviews with directors and owners of 27 lodging units in Continental Portugal promoting one of the three following tourist products: sun and sea, nature and city break, unveiled the measures and strategies adopted during the pandemic, in 2020, in their establishments at different levels: finances, communication, infrastructure, promotion, human resources, technology, as well as safety, hygiene and sanitation. This investigation also discusses the recovery strategies and future prospects for the sector, indicating good practices and new paths for the accommodation industry in general.