THE EFFECT OF COVID-19 ON TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA, RESURGENCE IN THE POST-PANDEMIC ERA: A CONCEPTUAL CRITERION

Abstract

Purpose of the study: This study aims to provide an overview of the key issues and challenges faced by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Malaysian tourism and hospitality industry, lessons learned from its devastating effects on the industry, and to contemplate possible solutions and strategies for post-pandemic recovery from a global perspective. Methodology: This is a conceptual study. In doing so, a comprehensive review of the most recent selected literature was gathered from academic and online news portal and relevant online platforms to extract the current state of the art knowledge. Based on the conceptual analysis, this study unfolds the uncertainties about the critical outcomes of the past events to provide some significant insights focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic, which is denoted as post-crisis analysis based on current and past events. Main Findings: Based on the comprehensive review of the related literature this paper finds that both from the academic and industry perspective that the emphasis should be given to study, teach and engage with current tourism-related concepts and theories to provide a holistic pedagogy to rebuild and transform the tourism and hospitality industry rather than maintaining the current tourism and hospitality trajectory in the post-Covid 19 pandemic age. Applications of this study: The practical implications of this paper is to assist the tourism and hospitality managers by providing a glimpse of the current and forthcoming challenges in the industry and to provide critical recovery strategies in the post-pandemic phase for the related tourism and hospitality operators to plan effective business strategies, activities and policies to adopt the new normal. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study exposes the vulnerability of an already gruesome Malaysia tourism and hospitality industry in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic based on the post-crisis analysis in relation to the current and past events, and consequently suggested some critical sustainable resilience strategies for a resurgence in the post-pandemic period from a global point of view.