Tourism supply chains: Issues and resilience strategies during the global pandemic

ABSTRACT

Covid-19 related border restrictions and national lockdowns have challenged the overall resilience of hotel supply chains in New Zealand due to the industry's over-reliance on international tourists. Using case study research methodology, this study interviewed 13 hotel managers in Akaroa, a famous tourist destination located near Banks Peninsula in the South Island of New Zealand. This study has revealed that the major objectives for these supply chains were related to surviving and maintaining breakeven during the lockdown periods (March 2020 and August 2021). Significantly, during these restrictions, most of the interviewed hotels streamlined their internal operations and focused on building better relationships with their network partners. Having an extensive network structure, and the help of key government organisations like Tourism NZ (who shared information and created targeted marketing campaigns focused on attracting domestic tourists), enabled these supply chains to bounce back relatively quickly. While managers faced many challenges but the key challenge was demand management as the relationship with online suppliers (booking.com) was deteriorating. Suppliers and other service providers for these hotels also found themselves in a difficult position (due to Covid-19 related restrictions) that further worsened the situation. By modifying their products and services, adjusting their prices, utilising local suppliers, diversifying their customer bases, and coordinating with tour operators in the region, these hotel supply chains were able to quickly recover and today, show further signs of improvement. © The Author(s) 2022.