It is evident from literature that the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic has brought the world economiesto its ‘knees’. No industry has gone untouched by the effects of this pandemic. Globally there has beenan adverse impact on travel which is backbone of the hotel industry. This study focuses on exploringthe impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on Zimbabwean hotel sector. The objectives of thestudy focused on investigating the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on hotel occupancy and revenue andproposing strategies that can be implemented for recovery post the pandemic. The study adopted amixed method approach, semi-structured questionnaires were used to gather data from 29 (3-5 star) hotel management across the various major tourism cities in Zimbabwe. Findings reveal that the Covid-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on hotel occupancy and revenue. Occupancy and revenue have dropped. Strategies have been employed by hotel to cope with the adverse impact of reducedoccupancy and revenue, these include working with minimal staff to avoid increases exposure, closingother parts of the hotel to reduce operational cost and operating on take out bases. It can be concludedthat hotels in Zimbabwe are not prepared for pandemics like Covid-19. It is therefore recommendedthat disaster management plans relating to pandemics be developed and implemented by hotels.
Tipping is a common practice globally and at times mandatory in some societies, at the same time, some communities regard tipping as taboo. African societies view tipping differently and this poses a challenge among international tourists, particularly those from the west who are used to expressing their gratitude towards a satisfactory service through giving a tip. While it is almost certain that some nationals will always give a tip, do Africans, particularly Zimbabweans subscribe to the tipping philosophy? There is not enough literature in academia on tipping amongst African tourists, particularly those in Zimbabwe. Preliminary review of literature has revealed that there are only two studies published on the tipping practice in Zimbabwe. The one focused on the impact of tipping on waiters' service delivery as well as working relations among waiting staff (Mkono, 2011). The other study looked at the perceptions of hotel employees towards tipping and motivation (Kazembe, Mapingure & Chimutingiza, 2014). It is evident that the published studies were all supply side oriented without considering the demand side. This study seeks to interrogate the demand side by; (i) establishing the perceptions of domestic tourists when it comes to tipping; (ii) expose the nature of tipping amongst local tourists; (iii) establishing the motivation for tipping amongst domestic tourists. The study adopted a phenomenological philosophy, and used a qualitative design to collect and analyze data. The study conveniently sampled forty (40) domestic tourists from four (4) hotels in Zimbabwe and interviewed them. The findings revealed that domestic tourists in Zimbabwe perceive tipping as an appropriate and good practice. The main form
The process of making career choices is complex since there are diverse factors affecting students’selection of programs when they enrol in higher and tertiary institutions. Just like in any other discipline,tourism and hospitality management graduates are affected by various factors when deciding theircareers post-graduation. Preliminary studies have shown that a significant percentage of tourism andhospitality graduates divert from tourism to some other, sometimes totally unrelated, industries foremployment. This study seeks to discover tourism and hospitality degree graduates’ perceptions andcareer attainment in Zimbabwe. The following critical questions were asked in order to achieve theobjective of the study; Why do they enrol for the tourism/hospitality program in the first place, that iswhat factors affect the students’ selection process of tertiary education programs? and why do someend up in totally different fields after graduating? Qualitative research approach was adopted in orderto understand the graduates’ perceptions, data was collected by the way of interviews. Data wasanalysed using the thematic approach. Findings revealed that while most of the graduates are employedin the tourism and hospitality industry in Zimbabwe, they are not satisfied with their jobs. Some feel thatthey studied tourism/hospitality as a last resort hence they do not have satisfaction while others areonly in the industry because they do not have an option. Poor working conditions and poor remuneration were also cited as causes of dissatisfaction. There are however a significant number who do not regrettheir career choice.
Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess the perceived economic impact of religious tourism in Zimbabwe. The research objectives were (1) to determine the nature of religious tourism in Zimbabwe, (2) to determine the key success factor for economically viable religious tourism in Zimbabwe, (3) to ascertain the perceived economic contribution of religious tourism, and finally (4) to propose strategies for economically sustainable religious tourism in Zimbabwe. Methods: The research adopted a qualitative approach and was descriptive in nature. The study focused on Harare and the study population was made up of a cross-section of tourism service providers in Harare, religious leaders, and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. Purposive sampling was used for service providers and as well as religious leaders. Results: The research findings revealed that there are a lot of religious tourism activities that take place in Zimbabwe, particularly Harare, and normally take the form of pilgrimages, religious conferencing, healing and deliverance nights, and worship. The perceived economic value derived includes employment creation for the locals, an increase in foreign currency generation, and an increase in sales revenue. The research findings also show that for religious tourism to be economically sustainable there is a need for government involvement, re-packaging of the product, and investment in local infrastructure. Implications: Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and the private sector need to take the religious tourism market seriously and make deliberate efforts to harness this growing market.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.