Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis: A Case Study of the Chinese Hotel Industry

Abstract

The hotel industry is an industry that is extremely vulnerable to crisis. In recent years, a number of large-scale crises have taken a toll on the hotel industry, the latest being the recent COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic that broke out in 2020. The emergence of COVID-19 has caused severe damage to the hotel industry globally. Many countries had to issue travel bans in an attempt to control the spread of COVID-19, causing long-lasting impacts on the hotel industry. Because China was one of the earliest countries to control the spread of Covid-19, and the hotel industry is currently recovering well, this study will explore how the Chinese hotel industry responded under the COVID-19 crisis, and the impact COVID-19 had on the Chinese hotel industry. In order to achieve the purpose of the research, this research adopts qualitative research methods. Secondary data is used, with government documents, news articles, and corporate reports being the main sources. The data is divided into four themes: Government, Hotel, Platform and Trend. The survey results showed that COVID-19 reduced hotel occupancy rates, daily room rates and income, and it also affected consumers' willingness to travel. Secondly, policies play an important role in the recovery of the hotel industry and can facilitate a good environment for this to happen. When formulating marketing strategies, hotels need to understand the changes in consumer preferences and integrate current popular marketing methods. Additionally, in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, joining a hotel group can help independent hotels better weather the crisis.