Reviving tourism sector in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic: The role of competitive intelligence

Abstract

Towards the end of 2019, the world experienced an unprecedented crisis. The COVID-19 virus was spreading quickly forcing authorities to impose drastic measures to contain it. Thus, the pandemic resulted in a deep worldwide economic crisis leaving many sectors vulnerable. Tourism, a vital sector that contributes strongly to the economic growth of many countries, was seriously affected. Even though some borders have been opened, vaccination campaigns have been launched and restrictions have been softened worldwide, the sector still struggles. In order to stimulate their activities, in the new challenging context created by the pandemic, tourism companies should not mainly rely on the support measures offered by governments. They are rather required to re-examine their traditional managerial approaches and start implementing more effective practices, such as competitive intelligence to anticipate future threats and identify new growth opportunities. The aim of this paper is therefore to provide a reflection on the role that competitive intelligence could have in the recovery of the tourism sector following the damages caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.