Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hotel strategy: Introductory assessment

Abstract

The pandemic COVID-19 led to almost “zero tourism” worldwide, with unforeseen consequences for a certain period of time. The hospitality industry was one of the hardest hit sectors of tourism, resulting in unprecedented versatility of lodging establishments. This paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitality industry, focusing primarily on the socio-demographic aspect of domestic demand in the Czech Republic. The gender of guests was found to have a strong impact on various safety requirements, such as maintaining a safe distance, reduced hotel capacity, or provided disinfection. In addition, women rated all COVID-19 measures higher than men. Other socio-demographic aspects, such as age and education, also have an impact on safety requirements. Consequently, the research findings can help develop new hotel strategies that keep the guest experience and profit optimization in mind.