The Role of Hybrid Events in Reviving the Hotel Industry in Egypt after the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

After the COVID-19 pandemic, governments obligated travel restrictions that negatively affected the international hotel industry. The events industry is also destructively influenced by the epidemic. However, the hybrid method has become popular. However, in Egypt, there is a significant gap in studying hybrid events during the epidemic. The researchers found that there are no previous studies that investigated hybrid events in Egypt during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the current study is to investigate the role of hybrid events in reviving the Egyptian hotel industry after the COVID-19 pandemic. The data was collected using in-depth interviews through phone calls, with 18 managers responsible for organizing events in five-star hotels in Egypt. The researchers analysed data depending on qualitative analysis. The results identified the facilities, practices, opportunities, and challenges of hybrid events, and distinguished the future trends. The study revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the events industry in Egypt. The most crucial practices are committing precautionary measures, allowing only 50% of the hall's capacity, and decreasing the number of participants. The hybrid way prevents the hotel from incurring losses regarding the cancellation of the events. The major challenges are the deficiency of face-to-face interactions and the need of providing well-equipped halls. The study recommended that hybrid events will be more dominant in the events industry based on political and health changes. Several implications, limitations, and future research suggestions are provided.