Crisis management: The response of a small Dutch hospitality company during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how a small Dutch hospitality company responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and hence create an understanding of how hospitality businesses can potentially use this knowledge when facing similar crises in the future. This study is based on exploratory research and used interviews to collect primary data. Five themes were found: initial crisis response, operational expenses, health scare, marketing, and crisis impact. It is seen that crisis management was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, where reactive strategies were key for survival. Immediate actions were taken and implementing change was seen as easier due to the small size of the company. Further, operational expenses were adjusted to the changed demand and a favourable reputation helped to rebuild customers’ trust, where marketing initiatives were seen as important to reach customers. Finally, the impact of COVID-19 can strengthen organisational efficiency when handled well. Research about the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry is limited, therefore further research is recommended on the long-term crisis response and the crisis consequences as well as the attitude of owners and employees of the hospitality industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19, crisis management, crisis response, hospitality management