Assessing COVID-19 pandemic manifestation in the operations of tour and travel enterprises in Uganda

Abstract

This dissertation assessed the manifestation of COVID-19 pandemic in the operations of the tour and travel enterprises in Uganda with the aim of enhancing the pool of information available to guide policy makers, tour and travel enterprise managers/owners and potential investors in the tour and travel business on the issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and tour and travel enterprises in Uganda. The objectives of the research were to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on tour and travel enterprises in Uganda with focus on the developments, challenges faced by tour and travel companies in the wake of the pandemic and propose strategies that can be used to overcome these challenges. The research used a quantitative and cross-sectional survey research design to quantify data and generalize results from a sample population of registered tour and travel companies for a single point in time. The results indicated that whereas there’s confidence by the tour and travel enterprises that the government can handle pandemics and epidemics efficiently, the COVID-19 pandemic crisis magnified the need for disaster preparedness at tour and travel business level. The research further confirmed that challenges faced by the tourism sector were disastrous and this led to downsizing of the tour and travel companies and lay off of numerous employees working in these enterprises as a way to cope with the financial distress brought by the pandemic. The research also indicated that to mitigate these challenges, there’s need for optimal management of tourism travel Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through the use of technology in order to accelerate business progress and economic stability. The research recommended that for policy makers and practitioners in the tourism industry to mitigate the impact of current and future pandemics, they must develop a new crisis readiness mechanism through gaining empirical knowledge on the nature and actual extent of the COVID-19 crisis. This study enhances the understanding and application of readiness response to crisis strategies in tourism research, and its findings practical recommendations for policy makes and tour and travel enterprises in times of disastrous crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.