Effects of the Covid-19 Crisis Preparedness and Recovery Strategies on Tour Operators’ Business Continuity in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused significant disruptions in the global tourism industry, prompting countries to develop strategies to get back to operation. This study focused on the effects of Covid-19 management strategies on the business continuity of tour operators in Nairobi County. Using the Theory of Change and the Relational Model for Crisis Management, the study aimed to examine the effects of crisis preparedness and recovery strategies. The exploratory research design was used and data collected from 226 randomly selected tour operators out of a population of 518 using an online questionnaire through Google forms. The results showed that most tour operators were not prepared for a crisis as they did not anticipate the occurrence of such a global health crisis s Covid-19. However, they responded by communicating with employees and customers and putting up Disaster Recovery plans as a strategy to get back to business as soon as possible. The study recommends that the Kenyan government should develop a crisis management plan that can be used for future reference in case such a crisis occurs. The study also recommended parallel studies to be conducted to compare results with other tourism sectors.