Abstract
Durban, located in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, is a popular coastal destination that is situated along the Indian Ocean. Durban, boasts a significant collection of hotels, many of which play an essential role in the local community through charity contributions, employment, training and grooming hospitality trainees. The City thrived during national peak seasons, like Easter weekend, school holidays and worldwide holiday times. Its local economy is heavily dependent on local and international visitors. The unforeseen and devastating impact of COVID-19 left the hospitality industry shattered with longstanding effects. The Durban hotel sector struggled to stay in business while some renowned hotels closed. Hotels navigated their way through the pandemic with little to no guidance or assistance, especially from the government. This study provides insight to the damage caused by COVID-19, detailing how hotels were affected and the actions taken that developed into strategies and recommendations to alleviate the impact of such future crises on the hotel sector within South Africa and other developing countries. The study aimed to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on Durban hotels and to formulate recovery strategies for future pandemics and crises to encourage a quick recovery and resilience. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to (i) examine the current state of hotels since the pandemic, (ii) explore factors of the pandemic that continue to challenge hotel operations, and (iii) propose sustainable recommendations for hotels.
A qualitative approach was used to collect the empirical data by holding in-person and virtual semi-structured interviews. Nonprobability, purposive and convenience sampling techniques were implemented. The findings were analysed using thematic and Content Analysis. The empirical results are discussed in seven themes, namely (1) Pre-COVID-19; (2) Financial impacts; (3) Factors challenging operations; (4) Impacts on labour; (5) State of hotels; (6) Business Model Changes; and (7) Sustainable recommendations. The practical contribution of the study pertains to realistic best practices and contingency plans that can be implemented in hotels and to improve the hotel sectors’ relations with stakeholders.
Keywords: COVID-19, hospitality, crisis management, recovery strategies, resilience, contingency plans