Knowledge Main Headline

Paper by IFTM scholars on tourism recovery from COVID-19 featured in international scholarly journal

中文摘要 / Summary in Chinese

An academic paper produced by a group of researchers from IFTM, on the role of public-private partnerships regarding post-COVID-19 recovery of tourism, has been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management. The paper focused on Macao, and was written by Institute scholars Dr. Penny Wan Yim King, Dr. Li Xiangping, Dr. Virginia Lau Meng Chan, and Dr. Leonardo (Don) Dioko.

The work was part of a collaborative research project on crisis management concerning tourism activity in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The project was carried out in partnership with the School of Tourism Management at Guangdong Province’s Sun Yat-sen University.

The paper by the IFTM scholars was titled “Destination governance in times of crisis and the role of public-private partnerships in tourism recovery from COVID-19: The case of Macao”. The research was funded by IFTM and supported by the IFTM Tourism Research Centre.

The study involved interviews with key informants from major associations and government offices related to tourism. It examined how Macao had utilised a model based on public-private partnership, in order to aid the recovery of its tourism industry from negative impacts related to the pandemic.

The authors pointed out that “during an unparalleled crisis like COVID-19, leadership should act in a speedy, honest, and proactive fashion, and offer practical guidance to reassure people”. In addition, crisis leaders should be active in identifying potential partners who wish to form collaboration for local economic and tourism-sector revival, they said.

“Governments may set up task forces to help bring these potential partners together and offer them some policy and incentive supports,” stated the IFTM scholars.

They added: “Developing common goals and a common direction is particularly important. Clear and shared objectives unite different sectors and give direction to the public-private partnership.”

The research stated that, in Macao’s case, “adherence to common goals was achieved by frequent communication of pandemic information and experts’ opinions”. Clear communications based on trust “will aid mutual understanding and expedite the structuring process among public and private stakeholders”, concluded the IFTM team.

The full paper is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2022.03.012.

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