EXPLORING THE RESHAPING OF THE INDUSTRY IN DENMARK DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS AND THE ROLE OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN BUILDING RESILIENCE
Author
Rocioiu, Lorelai Maria
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-05-31
Abstract
COVID-19 has brought major, long-lasting changes to tourism in Denmark, affecting businesses, organizations, and travelers. While previous research has largely focused on the industry’s impact, survival, and recovery, the role of consumer behavior in resilience—understood as the ability to adapt and recover from crises—has received less attention. This study examines how Danish tourism is being reshaped from the perspective of tourism businesses and organizations, and how consumer behavior influences the development of their resilience strategies. Using a mixed-methods design, the research combines web surveys, online semi-structured interviews, ethnographic observations, and analysis of secondary data. The findings show that companies and organizations are helping to repurpose and reconfigure the industry based on: the specific impacts assessed at their destinations or within their sectors; consumers’ needs and expectations; and the changes triggered by Danish government measures and resilience plans since the start of the pandemic. Consumer behavior plays a key role in these resilience strategies: it encourages adaptability, generates new knowledge for responding to future crises of a similar scale, and guides tourism entities in creating offerings that align with current social and environmental priorities.
COVID-19 har medført store og langvarige ændringer i dansk turisme, som påvirker både virksomheder, organisationer og forbrugere. Tidligere forskning har især fokuseret på branchens påvirkning, overlevelse og genopretning, mens forbrugeradfærdens betydning for resiliens (evnen til at tilpasse sig og komme sig efter kriser) er mindre belyst. Dette studie undersøger, hvordan dansk turisme omformes set fra turismevirksomheders og -organisationers perspektiv, og hvilken rolle forbrugernes adfærd spiller i udviklingen af deres resiliensstrategier. Undersøgelsen anvender et mixed-method-design med både kvalitative og kvantitative metoder: webbaserede spørgeskemaer, online semistrukturerede interviews, etnografiske observationer og analyse af sekundære data. Resultaterne viser, at virksomheder og organisationer er med til at gentænke og omlægge branchen på baggrund af: den vurderede påvirkning på deres destination eller sektor, forbrugernes behov og forventninger samt de ændringer, der er udløst af regeringens tiltag og resiliensplaner siden pandemiens start. Forbrugernes adfærd spiller en central rolle i resiliensstrategierne: den fremmer omstillingsevne, skaber ny viden om, hvordan man bedre kan håndtere fremtidige kriser af COVID-19’s omfang, og hjælper turismeaktører med at udvikle tilbud, der stemmer overens med aktuelle samfunds- og miljømæssige hensyn.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
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