Saving the hotel industry: Strategic response to the COVID-19 pandemic, hotel selection analysis, and customer retention.

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hotel selection attributes and customer post-purchase behaviors. Qualitative and quantitative processes comprising an importance-performance analysis are used. This mixed-methods approach successfully (1) explores the hotel selection attributes after the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) uncovers the change of importance of these attributes before and after the outbreak of COVID-19, (3) identifies the importance and the performance level of the hotel selection attributes, and (4) explores the roles of the hotel selection attributes that form the overall image of a hotel and the subsequent intentions to revisit a hotel. This study includes a high degree of value, and this is the first empirical research that explores the guests' hotel choice behaviors before and after the pandemic, which can be helpful for the subsequent guest-behavior studies in the post-pandemic era.