Small Tourism Businesses Adapting to the New Normal

It is reasonable to state that the impact on Thailand’s economy has been severe due to the lack of international tourists. In particular, the mass-tourist destination Phuket has suffered economic consequences due to a plunge in the number of international passenger arrivals and inadequate domestic tourists to fill their places. This paper aims to identify inadequacies to help stakeholders more effectively manage tourism development amid COVID-19, as well as to contribute to the body of knowledge and establish a baseline that recommends a potential area of interest for future quantitative research. This case study utilizes a variety of primary and secondary data sources. The empirical data for this study were collected through a series of semi-structured interviews with local small business owners. After a rigorous review process, a total of 21 in-depth interviews were included in the content analysis. This research not only disclosed a high level of resilience amongst the small local business owner community but revealed that Phuket continues to depend strongly on international tourism to manage its local economy sustainably. This research offers insights into the recent tourism developments during the COVID-19 global pandemic and provides a baseline for future studies that seek to validate results through quantitative methods of inquiry. Furthermore, it offers guidance for policymakers that seek recommendations for implementing good governance strategies.