Current obstacles, contemporary practices, and potential solutions for recovery in Vietnam tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic: Tour operators’ perspectives

Abstract

This paper explores the current obstacles, contemporary practices, and potential solutions for recovery in Vietnam tourism, based on the views of tour operators after the COVID-19 pandemic. This research utilizes twenty-three semi-structured interviews with senior managers and business leaders from five leading tour operators in Vietnam. The findings of this research highlight that, given the current difficulties in operation, Vietnam tourism enterprises developed various response strategies to help their tourism businesses to survive during the pandemic. This research is among the first attempts aims to extend the literature on the implications of COVID-19 to the tourism industry by reflecting the perceptions of tour operators. Furthermore, findings from this study can assist the tourism businesses by highlighting potential solutions and proposing recommendations for the recovery of tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic.