Public policies to support tourism sector following the COVID-19 crisis: an exploratory study Abstract
The tourism sector worldwide is one of the hardest-hit by the COVID-19 crisis. In a context of economic disruption, the support of governments plays a fundamental role in the recovery of the hospitality sector. Using an exploratory study, this paper tries to evaluate the impact of the pandemic phenomenon on the Italian tourism sector. It provides a first exploratory analysis on how the sector operators perceive the effectiveness of the public policies adopted to cope the crisis. To this end the research is based on a multiple case study of a sample of tourism enterprises operating in the Sardinian areas with the highest tourist vocation.Research findings are substantially in line with other authors regarding the ineffectiveness of the public measures, considered too late and quantitatively inadequate to support the recovery of tourism enterprises. What emerged clearly from the present analysis is that, without an appropriate managerial response and direct and timely economic policy, the consequences of a crisis, such as the pandemic, could prevent sectors, like tourism, from recovering.
However, the study offers relevant insights to public decision makers about the sector operator believes. In particular, it suggests that the most suitable public policies are those in support of liquidity and tourism demand.
Keywords: Public policies, Tourism sector, Hospitality sector, Pandemic crisis, COVID-19, Multiple case study
