Abstract:

Companies in the GCC countries, irrespective of the type, are affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. Due to the tremendous spread of the coronavirus, companies have challenges to overcome. These are not limited to illness-related, infections, employee absences, psychological impact, etc. The Hotel Industry in the GCC countries is no different in terms of companies that were greatly affected and its impact might even be more due to the limited freedom of movement imposed by the respective governmental authorities. It is not easy for this sector to quickly adjust to the situation and respond immediately. The challenges of this type of sector lie mainly in the ability to maintain a strategic overview, assess human interactions, coordinate centralized and decentralized steps and ensure that the necessary safety protocols are in place. This can be evidently observed in the region’s economy as the country derives income from its tourism industry. The purpose of this study is to assess the Crisis Management Response of the selected hospitality industry in the GCC region in order to propose recommendations to improve crisis preparedness. Also, this further aims to discuss a suitable pandemic plan as at the present moment, this is a crucial way of combatting the subsequent impact of the pandemic. Hence, the need to conduct this study is of interest to the researchers.

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