Innovative strategies to tackle post-Covid-19 tourism: case of small tourism companies

Abstract

Purpose The Covid-19 pandemic adversely affected the tourism industry. The highly contagious coronavirus-19 has brought the whole industry to its knees, initiating catastrophic effects in terms of loss of jobs and revenue. The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify the innovative coping strategies adopted by small tourism companies (STCs) to revive business and cope with the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach This study used qualitative exploration and asked open-ended questions to senior executives of STCs in India. Written responses were obtained from the respondents. Thematic analysis was performed to analyse the responses of the participants. Findings The findings highlight the innovative strategies adopted by STCs to cope with Covid-19-related business loss and present suggestions given by them to benefit the tourism industry. Research limitations/implications This study offers insightful practical and theoretical implications for tourism companies, marketing practitioners and policymakers. Originality/value The study builds on social practice theory, and the findings (prominent themes) are uniquely mapped with the elements of social practice theory.