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As the world continues to navigate between the “new normal” and the “next normal” of an ongoing pandemic, recovery plans of several tourism destinations are still not bringing desired results. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed long standing structural weaknesses and gaps in tourism policies worldwide. The formulation of tourism policies based on the pandemic context is therefore a need of the hour. However, due to lock-down and physical distancing measures, data collection for the development of research-based tourism policies has not been possible. In this case, evidence-based policies stand as a workable option. Drawing from the book Tourism Destination Management in a Post-Pandemic Context, this policy document proposes a synthesis of tourism policies embraced by destinations struggling in the pandemic context. Lessons show that rebuilding tourism requires policies that address structural weaknesses, advance key priorities, foster global solidarity and take advantage of new opportunities. This piece of study comes to the conclusion that tourism policies post pandemic need to be based on seven pillars, namely mitigation, vaccination, collaboration, information, promotion, education and investigation.

Although both institutional export assistance and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) contribute separately and positively to export performance, the interplay between them has received little attention. This study examines the role of international EO in deriving performance benefits from governmental and nongovernmental export assistance.

In this longitudinal study, two surveys were administered at two different times: In 2011, 705 Bangladeshi apparel exporters were surveyed, and in 2019, a subsequent survey of 198 firms in multiple industries was conducted. The aim of the surveys was to assess the relationships between governmental and nongovernmental assistance, EO and export performance.

The results of the first survey show that, while nongovernmental assistance influences performance directly and via EO, governmental assistance has only direct effects. Furthermore, the negative influence of government assistance on EO reduces the total effects and renders them nonsignificant. The results of the second survey demonstrate that government EPPs have both direct and indirect positive and significant effects on market performance, indicating a partial mediation, whereas quasi-governmental assistance has positive and significant direct effects as well as negative but nonsignificant indirect effects. Nongovernmental EPPs have both direct and indirect significant effects on international performance, indicating a partial mediation.

The study has important implications for researchers studying export assistance and its impact on firm performance. Instead of adopting a parochial view of government assistance, this study categorizes such assistance into three types – government, quasi-government and nongovernment. Furthermore, this study bridges the export assistance and international entrepreneurship literature by including EO.

Entrepreneurs must emphasize the use of government assistance in order to enhance export performance. However, to promote both entrepreneurship and performance, they must emphasize nongovernment assistance. Exporters should also capitalize on the assistance extended by various quasi-governmental agencies to bolster export performance.

Given the performance advantage of export assistance, this study highlights the contribution of the private sector in promoting export entrepreneurship while shedding light on the pernicious role of (quasi-)governmental assistance in export entrepreneurship.