A Terrorism-Inflicted Causality in Kashmir

Terrorist incidents at tourist destinations create several negative impacts. Many studies have focused on the intent of the tourists to visit a place affected by terrorism. However, there are no studies gauging the perceptions of travel agencies and tour operators. In this regard, this particular study intends to understand the detrimental effects of terrorism on various travel agencies and tour operators operating in Kashmir in India, which also form a part of MSMEs. Case study and semi-structured interviews have been used. The findings clearly illustrate that terrorism does have detrimental effects on a tourist destination and, in turn, deleterious effects on the travel agencies and tour operators operating in the region. It is also evident that there are political instabilities and lack of promotion and marketing of the destination. It is hoped that the political stability and proper promotion will lead to positive destination image and better management of the destination.

The Effects of COVID-19 on the Rent-a-Car Industry

Doubtless, COVID-19 has accelerated an economic financial crisis since 2008, affecting seriously not only the tourism industry but the global commerce. Governments have adopted different positions and programs to mitigate the economic aftermath of COVID-19. As never before in its history, tourism has been placed between the wall and the deep blue sea. Although the interests and studies evaluating the impact of COVID-19 have captivated the attention of countless scholars, less attention was given to the rent-a-car industry, which occupies a central position in the tourist system. As substitute competitors of train, bus, and airplanes, the rent-a-car organizations seem to be a quintessential actor of the tourist system. Of course, because we live in a world without tourists, empirical-based studies do not abound. To fill such a gap, the present chapter describes the economic downturn of a rent-a-car organization giving a firm empirical case. Although illustrative to some extent, the obtained outcome cannot be extrapolated to other universes or samples.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Tourism Industry

The purpose of the present research is to analyze the impact of COVID-19 in touristic activity enterprises, which offer several experiences such as routes, visits, among others, in Barcelona. Many of these businesses are micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). An online questionnaire has been designed in order to collect data. The study provides timely and insightful implications for tourism practitioners who will be expected to prepare the post-corona field for a new normal after the experience of restricted living during an unprecedented pandemic.

Public Health Risk Environment for Bulgarian SMEs (Guest Houses and Family Hotels) in the COVID-19 Pandemic

At a time of the global health pandemic, the most affected areas are economy and social life. Along with the practical limitations of travel, regarding personal security reasons and the objective risks for the environment, the world of tourism has changed. However, under the circumstances, some small accommodation units have managed to survive, like the Seamen between Scylla and Charybdis – the mythical situation. The purpose of this chapter is to delve into the public health risk environment for Bulgarian SMEs in tourism (guest houses and family hotels) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent of the analysis includes hotels and guest houses in the south-western part of Bulgaria that managed to keep operating despite the global pandemic situation.

ICTs and Rural Tourism

This chapter aims to analyze the role that information and communication technologies (ICTs) have played in the processes of adaptation, learning, and tourist reactivation in rural areas, in the context of the pandemic caused by the spread of the zoonotic virus SARS-Cov-2. For this, a case study of the rural tourism offer was developed that includes the experiences of nine community tourism enterprises, settled in indigenous territories of the Central Mexican Highlands. The research approach was qualitative, and it was proposed to systematize the experiences that the enterprises have accumulated throughout the pandemic and during the process of social isolation. It is concluded that the use and exploitation of ICTs in rural areas is still incipient, in terms of their potential as tools for the promotion, marketing, and positioning of rural tourist destinations. It is necessary to overcome the technological gap in the context of the new socioeconomic characteristics that rural tourism will face, many of which will remain in force in the medium and long terms.

Effects of COVID-19 on Small Businesses in the Catering Sector

This study focuses on the effects of COVID-19 on independent restaurant operators in small cities. Proposals for recovery are assessed both in terms of business operations and service provision and in terms of the governance measures demanded by restaurateurs. Semi-structured open-ended interviews were conducted with 38 restaurateurs in Ourense (Spain) during the toughest months of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study provides key operational and governance measures for the recovery of the restaurant sector and confirms the need to generate a greater connection and empathy with the customer and to adapt to the new situation of instability and uncertainty by incorporating new business models. More effective governance measures are needed in line with increased public concern for sustainability, humanization, and environmental conservation.

Different Strategies for Different Crises to Rescue Micro, Small, and Medium Travel Agencies

This chapter approaches crisis management for micro, small, and medium-sized travel agencies. In the first place, the author sets what a crisis is, which businesses should be considered as micro, small, and medium-sized, and which crises have hit travel agencies since the 1990s. Then, the author analyzes different strategies micro, small, and medium travel agencies have used for each of the above-mentioned crises, considers different strategies that could be implemented, and provides some relevant recommendations. Further, on the frame of the last crisis due to COVID-19, the author presents strategies that have already been adopted and others that could be implemented. Finally, the author highlights some differences between this last crisis and past crises of the tourism sector in general and micro, small, and medium travel agencies in particular.

Travel Agencies

The whole world is going through an unprecedented health crisis, which has affected all sectors of global economy. In actual context, the tourism industry is particularly affected by COVID-19. In this context, the present chapter focuses on one specific subsector: travel agencies. These companies have not only stopped booking new trips, but also had to cancel bookings made prior to 2020. Therefore, many agencies did not manage to survive, and those that did are struggling. Considering this scenario, the present study aims to characterise the state of the art on this phenomenon – the effects of COVID-19 on travel agencies. To this end, all studies containing the keywords “covid” and “travel agency” published on the Scopus database were retrieved and subjected to a content analysis. The findings reveal a greater use of new technologies and online platforms. Moreover, studies point to a focus on sustainable and inclusive tourism, as well as on so far neglected market segments, as alternatives for recovering this sector.

Small and Medium Tourism Enterprise Survival in Times of Crisis

This case study is intended to analyze, through a longitudinal analysis, the radical business model innovation experienced a Cantabrian tourism company that exploits a protected cultural property called “El Capricho de Gaudí.” More specifically, this chapter focuses on the manager attitudes toward risk and their influence on response strategies implemented to redefine and renew this business model for competitiveness and survival. The results of the analysis contribute to generate knowledge about how a solid and well-established small experienced cultural-based tourism enterprise reformulates its business model to survive in time of crisis.

Strategic Management of the COVID-19 Crisis in Rural Tourism Settings

This chapter is intended to contribute to filling the gap in the scientific literature on crisis management in small and medium-sized rural tourism enterprises in the occasion of the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking as the object of this study the Spanish province of Huelva, and under a qualitative methodological approach, the research aim was threefold: the measures taken to alleviate the crisis, the lessons learnt during the period of coexistence with the pandemic, and the opportunities for the development of rural tourism in the post-viral scenario. The latter ones were related to key topics such as safety and hygiene, risk of rejection of tourism, destinations governance, marketing policies, compatibility between short-term emergency measures and long-term vision, creativity and innovation, and people-centred organizations. Finally, some practical implications were concluded on this strategic issue.