Bouncing back or bouncing forward? Tourism destinations’ crisis resilience and crisis management tactics

Abstract

In recent years, the tourism literature has demonstrated a growing interest in the concept of resilience and its implications for travel and tourism. However, the research of resilience in tourism is still in its early stages and there are many challenges ahead. In response to these challenges, the current study examines how tourism destinations are practising recovery and resilience in the face of crisis, using case study analysis of global destinations overcoming a crisis: France, Turkey, Russia, Korea, Belgium and Egypt. The results of the study indicate the use of both crisis management practices and tourism resilience tactics by these destinations. Taking the perspective of the resilience theory, the findings of the study demonstrate that, following a crisis, destinations will focus on re-orienting the tourism system and regenerating tourism growth. These responses include investment in infrastructure and facilities, product development, market development and conduct structural reforms. The outcomes of the study contribute to the understanding of resilience tactics and its practices by global destinations, and shed a new light on the relations between tourism destinations, tourism crisis and tourism resilience.