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This paper explores the challenges faced by the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the tourism industry in building capabilities toward being resilient in the wake of crises through a stakeholder perspective.

This study identifies the barriers to building resilience through detailed literature review and expert interviews. A total of 13 barriers were identified and were classified into into three main categories, namely economic barriers, organizational barriers, and stakeholder barriers. Subsequently, primary data were collected to emperically validate the nature and strength of interactions between these barriers and to quantitatively identify their impact.

The study identifies that in long run, stakeholder barriers are the most significant in building capabilities toward being resilient in the wake of crisis. However, for initial recovery, economic barriers need to be focused. Subsequently, organizational capabilities needs to be developed through stakeholder support.

The study provides actionable insights to help MSMEs in the tourism industry to recover economically and to help them build lasting capabilities through organizational capability development and stakeholder support.

This study is novel on two aspects. First, the study investigates role of MSMEs in the tourism industry and how MSMEs are pivotal in helping the industry recover from a crisis by being resilient. Second, the role of stakeholders in the MSMEs sector in tourism is underexplored area and this study adds value to this nascent literature.

COVID-19 impacts different groups and subsectors of tourism unevenly, with massive vulnerabilities in tourism operating systems among urban tourism areas. Different types of COVID-19 related crises depend on isolation or returning to “normal” in various urban areas. Boosting domestic tourism activities to spark resilience before international demand returns is essential to stimulating local demand worldwide. This paper aims to build upon a non-exhaustive review of the scientific literature about tourism resilience issues to see the bigger picture of tourism resilience on three levels worldwide.

This research applies a content analysis technique to collect research data from the latest scientific papers on tourism resilience issues. This study will use searching and filtering on the Scopus web database and based on the VOSviewer algorithm to identify useful insights and determine a framework for tourism resilience issues on three levels.

The outcome of three aspects of resilience, which mainly relate to the development of tourism industry sectors (transportation, accommodation, food and beverage) and other industries (research and education) connected to urban tourism resilience, could be useful for future researchers to explore less-studied issues and policymakers’ future application.

The research data are mostly from literature reviews of papers that may not interpret all contemporary resilience issues and the research data are based on urban areas alone.

The research idea is fresh and adds new knowledge to professionals’ or policymakers’ future applications.

Nepal’s rich cultural and natural heritage – the basis of a flourishing tourism industry that contributes 8% to the country’s GDP – suffered heavily during the Gorkha earthquake that shook the country in April 2015. Recovery was challenged by a political-economic crisis that hampered mobility and delayed access to resources. Given the economic importance of tourism to Nepal, a revival of this industry was considered vital by public authorities and private sector representatives. This chapter discusses the response mechanisms of the tourism industry in Kathmandu to two sequential, overlapping stressors that brought challenges to the business sector beyond the usual. Interviews with hotel managers and owners, tour operators and trekking company owners have revealed that coping strategies varied from business-as-usual to completely new paths. To what extent do multiple disruptive events challenge a tourism industry to diverge from established paths of economic development? How did Nepal revive its tourism industry? In-depth interviews with tourism industry stakeholders brought forth evidence of unusual collaborative action towards a quick restoration of tourist arrivals and a positive image of the destination. Furthermore, a handful of companies have shifted their entire business strategy.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the resilience of tourism businesses in a coastal city in the USA to coastal hazards and severe weather events. The researchers developed a framework for assessing the resilience of coastal tourism businesses and demonstrated the applicability of the framework using the case study of Virginia Beach.

Researchers conducted structured, face-to-face interviews with tourism business owners and managers, using an instrument based on an assessment framework with five components: vulnerability, business planning and operations, preparation and recovery planning, communications and workforce. In total, 32 participants representing 42 businesses in the accommodations, restaurants, retail and activities sectors at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront were interviewed.

Many participants did not feel highly vulnerable due to structural mitigation efforts taken by the city. Larger businesses undertook more strategic planning, preparedness and recovery planning. All businesses had effective ways of communicating with staff and customers, and through membership in local organizations, had access to resources. While not all businesses prioritized training for employees, they recognized the importance of providing support for staff during severe weather events.

As one of the few studies on tourism resilience in the USA, this study highlights the variability of resilience among tourism businesses within a destination.

Negative issues in the world have increased in recent years. The continuing COVID-19 pandemic has forced the global tourism industry to take precautions against these disasters to be ready to respond. Given tourism's vulnerability to environmental and social changes, the pandemic has dramatically impacted tourism worldwide. Tourism enterprises have developed various strategies and approaches to eliminate vulnerabilities that negatively affect their structures. This chapter tries to measure and recover plans implemented by various countries to increase the tourism industry's resilience in the face of crises and disasters.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in vital implications for tourism education and curricula, and the education effectiveness in times of crisis ought to be resilient in the light of its preparedness, response and recovery policies and research. Purpose of the study is to analyse the academic practices in tourism education with a specific focus for incorporating the resilient adaptation strategies.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The study is conducted using content analysis of published data along with interviews with heads of the tourism educational institutions.

Findings: Very few universities are offering courses on resilience and disaster management as part of the curriculum in the tourism study programmes.

Originality/Value: The chapter provides strategies on the effective integration of resilient tourism policy and practices as mitigation measures into the tourism education system with a special emphasis on disaster prevention, mitigation and vulnerability reduction at the destinations in the post-COVID-19 scenario.

This paper aims to provide a framework to guide tourism and hospitality businesses, tourism organizations and their communities to collaboratively develop a proactive, capabilities-based continuity plan for disaster or crisis. The framework provided incorporates the existing research and existing business continuity standards to provide actionable steps building community resilience and disaster preparedness. This plan offers the stakeholders a roadmap to adapt when faced with disaster and persist in the pursuit of a strong tourism and hospitality industry.

A summary of the key literature is presented alongside international guidance for developing business continuity plans. Incorporating the literature and business continuity standards, this framework offers actionable steps that stakeholders can take to develop preparedness plans for their business, organization and/or community that support disaster resilience for the tourism and hospitality industry.

The majority of tourism and hospitality businesses are micro-, small- and medium-sized businesses that often lack the capabilities and resources to dedicate to disaster preparedness planning. The available research offers important and meaningful data, yet also finds that businesses fail to plan. The available literature that guides tourism and hospitality businesses to move to action in preparing for disaster is sparse.

This paper brings together theoretical research literature with existing business continuity best practices to create a new framework specifically designed for the tourism and hospitality industry. The result is a practical roadmap to guide stakeholders to build community resilience that benefits tourism and hospitality businesses, tourism organizations and the wider community to build resilience, shorten recovery times and sustain a strong industry/community despite disaster. It will be of value to practitioners, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders involved in the travel and tourism industry.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and consequent economic shutdown have had severe impacts on the tourism industry. Acquiring an understanding of the impacts and ongoing response procedures is crucial to recovery planning. The purpose of this study is to explore the management procedures undertaken by sport tourism stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana, USA, a state that relies heavily on sport tourism for its economic vibrancy.

A constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 high-rank managers in sport tourism organizations.

Continued uncertainty, psychological and financial distress were found to be the main challenges. Contingency planning, adaptability and focus on doable tasks were the core elements of the strategic response plan. Resilience management, particularly social and financial, appeared to be key in the recovery process. A stronger return was predicted with technological advancements and new collaborations. Intra-destination collaboration and creative programs were found to be key in the long-term resilience of the destination.

Findings shed light on the challenges faced, response actions undertaken, and the projected future which helps to understand the stories behind decisions and proposals, identify the gaps, and plan the best possible practices. Recommendations for leveraging sports to revitalize the destinations and help businesses survive the crisis are provided that can guide sport tourism communities on their path to recovery from COVID-19.

Generally, tourism is perceived as an economic-driving force that contributes to accelerate the processes of economic and social development. On the other hand it creates pressure and transforms the environment (both urban and natural), especially when the transformation is fast. Several studies analyze in depth the role of tourism in the development of the destinations. The effects are different and also depend on where the pressure manifests. In cities, in addition to the risk of overcoming the carrying capacity in social and environmental terms, tourism brings the loss of identity. This is even more true in proximity of economic shocks, where the sudden reduction in tourist flows and the need to contain costs for businesses are risks for the sustainability of the tourist destination. In this sense, the case of Sicily is emblematic. This Italian region in recent years has grown in international tourist flows, with a growing appreciation for its natural and cultural elements. The purpose of this chapter is therefore to describe the behaviour of the main urban tourism destinations in Sicily with respect to the economic shock that occurred in Italy in 2008, through a quantitative analysis that thus highlights the resilience of the cities to changes in the relative tourist flows.