Analysis of tourism business management in the COVID-19 pandemic era

ABSTRACTTravel agencies play a pivotal role in supporting tourists and fostering employment. This study examined the policies and strategies of travel agency managers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and their attitudes towards government policies as external business facilitators. Data were collected from 191 travel agency managers and analysed using SPSS software. The results indicate that, instead of implementing innovative approaches, managers primarily resorted to straightforward solutions such as downsizing employees, closing businesses, and cutting wages. Furthermore, the findings concerning government support, policies, and performance, as assessed by travel agency managers, demonstrate government inadequacies in financial, socio-cultural, and IT domains. Our findings have implications for tourism managers, decision-makers, and governments concerned with the future prosperity of tourism businesses.KEYWORDS: Tourism businessesCOVID-19 pandemictravel agency managersgovernment policiesIran Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationNotes on contributorsMehdi HajiloMehdi Hajilou is a Research Associate at the University of South Carolina, specializing in sustainable tourism, tourism analytics, and tourism geographies.Siavash Imeni GheshlaghSiavash Imeni Gheshlagh is an Assistant Professor at the University of Science and Culture, specializing in tourism management and sustainable tourism.Mahshid MohammadianMahshid Mohammadian holds a master’s degree in tourism management and has extensive experience in the hospitality and travel agencies industry.Ali IskenderAli Iskender is an adjunct faculty at Western Carolina University, specializing in technology and sustainability in tourism and hospitality studies.