Looking to the past to travel in the future : post pandemic tourism

Abstract

Considering the historical background of pandemics, global pandemics have played an enormous role in shaping the tourism landscape. This dissertation intends to improve understanding of the impact of pandemics on tourism by bringing together crisis responses from stakeholders in the 20th and 21st centuries. It examines historical pandemics from the Spanish influenza (1918), till COVID-19 (2019) to compare and identify policy effectiveness trends. Emphasis is placed on the importance of tourism in global economies and post-disaster recovery. In considering the global impact of pandemics on tourism international travel, especially nowadays, are severely restricted during pandemics. Tourism-dependent countries are concerned about these disturbances as it leads to a fall in international travel that exacerbated economic problems, especially in developing nations. The research adopts a forward-looking approach which tries to illuminate historical policy triumphs and failures to inform future efforts. It draws together aspects from policymakers and stakeholders and strives to build a more resilient and adaptable economy that emphasises a need for post-COVID-19 landscape analysis, particularly in severely affected countries. Various government interventions are looked at and conclusions are drawn from both successful and failing methods that could highlight key indicators to assist government with economic recovery. Finally, the research critiques government responses and suggests ways to improve them to help policymakers prepare for future crises and to make global tourism resilient and adaptable post-COVID-19.