sh.sePublications
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • harvard-anglia-ruskin-university
  • apa-old-doi-prefix.csl
  • sodertorns-hogskola-harvard.csl
  • sodertorns-hogskola-oxford.csl
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Change in guest behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: Research study of health spa hotels in Slovakia
Södertörn University, School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Tourism Studies.
2022 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

The global tourism and hotel industry have been among the fastest-growing sectors for years. However, the global pandemic of COVID-19 caused extreme disruption and changed the situation all around the globe. The global COVID-19 pandemic did not only leave an imprint on economic sectors all over the world but also caused changes in the everyday lives of people. Implemented travel restrictions and self-isolation have resulted in workforce reductions in all economic sectors and job losses impacting individuals, organizations, and countries globally. With regard to the hotel industry, the crisis has led to an immense number of cancellations and a loss of foreign clientele. The situation has altered and the behavior of guests has changed accordingly. This research aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on guest behavior and its consequences. To achieve this aim, a mixed methods research approach consisting of 2 stages of empirical study is employed. The qualitative method in the form of email interviews was aimed at the hotel staff of 5 chosen health spa hotels in Slovakia where 9 employees were asked questions about the impact of COVID-19 on the hotel industry and guest behavior from a hotel employee’s perspective. The collected data were analyzed by using thematic analysis. The quantitative method was used to investigate the impact of the global pandemic from hotel guests’ points of view themselves. The second part of the research therefore involves 100 participants of an online survey about guest behavior during the pandemic, change in values and behavior patterns. The findings proved that there is a significant change in guest behavior induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences. Furthermore, the aftermath of adopted behaviors has been identified, including the change in the booking process, difficulties in rules compliance, and main differences in hotel stays before and during the pandemic.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2022. , p. 71
Keywords [en]
Hotel industry, COVID-19 pandemic, Guest behavior, Global pandemic, Slovakia, Health spa hotels, Behavioral impact
National Category
Social Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-49993OAI: oai:DiVA.org:sh-49993DiVA, id: diva2:1700062
Subject / course
Tourism Studies
Supervisors
Examiners
Available from: 2022-09-30 Created: 2022-09-29 Last updated: 2025-10-07Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

fulltext(1121 kB)1072 downloads
File information
File name FULLTEXT01.pdfFile size 1121 kBChecksum SHA-512
7b7e0f7e5dad3cd90f1ae2c672bad130ccf16eac187b0e0035d6bdfc37fa205f2619729d7e1d8a033e4412564a8675ac4c3ea3e339426e3ccb0a1c461ec05e76
Type fulltextMimetype application/pdf

By organisation
Tourism Studies
Social Sciences

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar
Total: 1074 downloads
The number of downloads is the sum of all downloads of full texts. It may include eg previous versions that are now no longer available

urn-nbn

Altmetric score

urn-nbn
Total: 867 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • harvard-anglia-ruskin-university
  • apa-old-doi-prefix.csl
  • sodertorns-hogskola-harvard.csl
  • sodertorns-hogskola-oxford.csl
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf