Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceptions and sentiments of tourism employees: evidence from a small island tourism economy in the Caribbean

Purpose – Building on tourism crisis studies and behavioral economics, this study describes a national survey conducted among 439 Aruban tourism and nontourism employees. Design/methodology/approach – Regression analysis was subsequently conducted to analyze the relationship between experienced well...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ryan R. Peterson, Robin B. DiPietro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Emerald Publishing 2021-12-01
Series:International Hospitality Review
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IHR-10-2020-0063/full/pdf
_version_ 1827910047500337152
author Ryan R. Peterson
Robin B. DiPietro
author_facet Ryan R. Peterson
Robin B. DiPietro
author_sort Ryan R. Peterson
collection DOAJ
description Purpose – Building on tourism crisis studies and behavioral economics, this study describes a national survey conducted among 439 Aruban tourism and nontourism employees. Design/methodology/approach – Regression analysis was subsequently conducted to analyze the relationship between experienced well-being, crisis duration and tourism and nontourism employee sentiments. Findings – The findings indicate that tourism employee sentiments are generally, and significantly, more negative and their concerns about the future are significantly more pessimistic than nontourism employees. The results show that the experienced well-being and expected duration of the COVID-19 crisis have a significant negative effect on tourism employees' sentiments. The paper provides several policies and industry recommendations for strengthening tourism employee well-being and economic resilience. Several avenues for future research are presented. Originality/value – The current study contributes to this literature by showing that the increased pessimism and negativity of the tourism employees as compared to nontourism employees during the current pandemic influence their thoughts about future income and earnings as well as future purchases.
first_indexed 2024-03-13T01:46:39Z
format Article
id doaj.art-7a620a35ccb2459bb944d179a359e630
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2516-8142
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-13T01:46:39Z
publishDate 2021-12-01
publisher Emerald Publishing
record_format Article
series International Hospitality Review
spelling doaj.art-7a620a35ccb2459bb944d179a359e6302023-07-03T08:07:10ZengEmerald PublishingInternational Hospitality Review2516-81422021-12-0135215617010.1108/IHR-10-2020-0063Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceptions and sentiments of tourism employees: evidence from a small island tourism economy in the CaribbeanRyan R. Peterson0Robin B. DiPietro1Division Economic Policy and Financial Stability, Central Bank of Aruba, Oranjestad, ArubaSchool of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USAPurpose – Building on tourism crisis studies and behavioral economics, this study describes a national survey conducted among 439 Aruban tourism and nontourism employees. Design/methodology/approach – Regression analysis was subsequently conducted to analyze the relationship between experienced well-being, crisis duration and tourism and nontourism employee sentiments. Findings – The findings indicate that tourism employee sentiments are generally, and significantly, more negative and their concerns about the future are significantly more pessimistic than nontourism employees. The results show that the experienced well-being and expected duration of the COVID-19 crisis have a significant negative effect on tourism employees' sentiments. The paper provides several policies and industry recommendations for strengthening tourism employee well-being and economic resilience. Several avenues for future research are presented. Originality/value – The current study contributes to this literature by showing that the increased pessimism and negativity of the tourism employees as compared to nontourism employees during the current pandemic influence their thoughts about future income and earnings as well as future purchases.https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IHR-10-2020-0063/full/pdfPandemicSmall island tourism economyCaribbeanTourism employeesExperienced well-beingCOVID-19
spellingShingle Ryan R. Peterson
Robin B. DiPietro
Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceptions and sentiments of tourism employees: evidence from a small island tourism economy in the Caribbean
International Hospitality Review
Pandemic
Small island tourism economy
Caribbean
Tourism employees
Experienced well-being
COVID-19
title Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceptions and sentiments of tourism employees: evidence from a small island tourism economy in the Caribbean
title_full Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceptions and sentiments of tourism employees: evidence from a small island tourism economy in the Caribbean
title_fullStr Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceptions and sentiments of tourism employees: evidence from a small island tourism economy in the Caribbean
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceptions and sentiments of tourism employees: evidence from a small island tourism economy in the Caribbean
title_short Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the perceptions and sentiments of tourism employees: evidence from a small island tourism economy in the Caribbean
title_sort exploring the impact of the covid 19 pandemic on the perceptions and sentiments of tourism employees evidence from a small island tourism economy in the caribbean
topic Pandemic
Small island tourism economy
Caribbean
Tourism employees
Experienced well-being
COVID-19
url https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IHR-10-2020-0063/full/pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT ryanrpeterson exploringtheimpactofthecovid19pandemicontheperceptionsandsentimentsoftourismemployeesevidencefromasmallislandtourismeconomyinthecaribbean
AT robinbdipietro exploringtheimpactofthecovid19pandemicontheperceptionsandsentimentsoftourismemployeesevidencefromasmallislandtourismeconomyinthecaribbean