Impact of COVID-19 on Customer Behavior in Hospitality Industry

This research project explores the impact of COVID-19 on customer behavior in the hospitality industry, specifically focusing on Marriott hotel. The aim is to investigate the influence of the pandemic on the hospitality sector, determine the challenges faced by Marriott hotel, and explore the effective initiatives taken to improve customer experience. The research methodology includes qualitative data collection through a structured questionnaire. The timeline, literature review, and references are also provided.

Research Project Proposed

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TIMELINE.......................................................................................................................................2
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

Title: Impact of COVID-19 over the customer’s behaviour towards the hospitality industry.
INTRODUCTION
Background of research
As per current scenario, COVID-19 is major issue that entire world is facing as it also
impacts on business organization, industry and living style of people. In hospitality industry, this
pandemic situation is negatively affect as its sales is almost on decline stage due to lockdown in
the entire countries (Donthu and Gustafsson, 2020). Mainly, it is a major health crisis that every
people is facing in their day to day activities. This is the reason that they are no more interested
to going outside. Due to this, hotels are reducing their customers base that automatically decrease
its sales and growth level at market place.
Current investigation is based on Marriott international is famous American multinational
diversified hospitality company that managed a broad portfolio of hotels related with lodging
facilities to its customers. This hotel provides various services to guest in order to improve their
satisfaction level towards its offerings. With the help of this, company can easily increase their
customers base and at the same time also enhance their competitive edge from its competitors. In
the pandemic situation, Marriott get affected as sales is declined and also lose their customers
base. This will put negative impact over the company performance at market place.
Research aim:
To investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic situation over the customer’s
behaviour towards the hospitality industry. A study on Marriott hotel.
Research objectives
 To explore the influence of COVID-19 on hospitality sector.
 To determine the challenges faced by Marriott hotel in providing services to its customers
in COVID-19 pandemic situation.
 To explore the effective initiative taken by Marriott hotel to improve customers
experience towards its services.
Research questions
 What is the influence of COVID-19 on hospitality sector?
 What are the major challenges faced by Marriott hotel in providing services to its
customers in COVID-19 pandemic situation?
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 What are the effective initiative taken by Marriott hotel to improve customers experience
towards its services?
Scope and rationale of research
Current investigation is based on the impact of COVID-19 over customer behaviour
within the hospitality industry. The main motive of undertaking research activities is to evaluate
the aspects that assist researcher in improving researcher skills and knowledge. In addition to
this, it also helps company in improving their performance in pandemic situation (Shin and
Kang, 2020). With the assistance of this, organization can sustain in market place for longer
period of time. This research provides wider scope to company and researcher by providing ways
and alternative solution to improve its performance in market place.
TIMELINE
An appropriate time line for investigation is important for researcher because it assist in
completing each and every research task in successful manner. In order to manage proper
timeline of research, investigator prepare a Gantt chart as it is a graphical presentation of entire
research activities that applied by researcher to completing investigation in minimum time frame.
Along with this, it is also beneficial in eliminating the possibilities of arsing issues at the time of
executing investigation. In this regards, Gantt chart for current investigation is mentioned below:
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LITERATURE REVIEW
In undertaking research activities, review of literature is referring to the procedure of
acquiring data from different sources that provide detailed and in-depth information on the basis
of research topic and research area. In this, various themes are developing on which authors give
their views points to make appropriate results. As there are some themes are developing on the
basis of research objectives:
Influence of COVID-19 on hospitality sector
According to Foroudi, Tabaghdehi and Marvi, (2020), Covid-19 is major issues that faced by
almost people as it also spread across the entire world. Due to this situation, economic was shut
down as it directly affects the business activities in negative manner. The consequences of
measures taken worldwide to curb the pandemic. In relation to hospitality industry, Covid-19 put
negative impact as people are stay at home rather than to visit one place to another. This is the
reason that company faced issues of decreasing their sales and profitability level at market place.
Major challenges faced by Marriott hotel in providing services to its customers in COVID-
19 pandemic situation
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According to Davahli and et. Al., (2020), In the pandemic situation of Covid-19, hotel
industry faces various issues in delivering their services to its customers. In this customers are no
more interested to consume services and do not visit the hotel. This will reduce the profitability
level of hotel as company lose their customers base within the market place. In this context,
company face issue in connecting with their customers, change in customer’s demand,
consumers are not interested in visiting hotel, reduction in sales and profitability and many more.
All these issues are put adverse impact over the growth level of company at market place.
Effective initiative taken by Marriott hotel to improve customers experience towards its
services
According to Hu and et. Al., (2020), It is important for every business organization to
improve their customers experience by providing tem satisfactory services as per their needs and
wants. This can be contributing in improving the overall sales and profitability level at market
place. In this context, company analyse market trends and customer’s expectation in the
pandemic situation from selected company. With the assistance of this company can generate
larger profitability by providing positive customer base. For attaining the company also update
their pricing strategies to invite more and more customers towards its offerings.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
In undertaking an investigation, methodology is one of the significant section as it provides
a framework in which researcher collect and analyse reliable information on the basis of
specified research topic. This section includes methods and techniques used by researcher to
gather data and information about the specified topic. Thus, it is important for investigator to
select an appropriate one to acquire appropriate information. All these methodologies can be
understood by following points:
Choice of data: Qualitative and quantitative are two essential choices for researcher to
undertake research activities in an effective way. For this investigation, qualitative research
choice is effective as it may assist in collecting numerical data from different participants to
draw a meaningful conclusion at the end of the investigation.
Research approach: It is considered as an important section that is related within procedure
in which data is acquired (Karim and et.al., 2020). Basically, it is classified into two methods
such as inductive and deductive research approach. In order to undertake current investigation,
deductive research approach is an effective method that would be applied by researcher to
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effectively analyse and evaluate quantitative information about the particular data and
information in order to take a right decision.
Research philosophy: There are two type of philosophies including positivism and
interpretivisim and positivism. As per current investigation, positivism research philosophy will
have applied by researcher as it helps in gathering quantitative information in minimum period of
time.
Research strategy: There are various strategies such as case study, experimental, action
research, survey, questionnaire and many more. All these are effective in gathering data and
information about the research topic to draw a valid conclusion at the end of the study. For
undertaking current investigation, a structured questionnaire is preparing by researcher in which
various close-ended questions are asked from selected respondents to understand their view
points about the specified research topic.
Data collection: It is considered as an important procedure to gather information about
the specified topic and area. It is categorised into two methods such as primary and secondary
method of data collection. In order to undertake current investigation, both method will be
applied by researcher. In this questionnaire is an effective tool for collecting primary data on the
basis of impact of COVID-19 on customer’s behaviour. On the other side, secondary method is
also effective method in which investigator use different sources including books, journals,
articles, newspaper and many more (Kaushal and Srivastava, 2020). All these can assist in
gathering detailed information towards the research topic. By this, researcher can easily draw a
valid conclusion within the research activities.
Data analysis: In order to analyse all the collected data and information frequency
distribution analysis will have applied by investigator in order to analyse quantitative data on the
basis of impact of COVID-19 over the customer’s experience towards the company and its
services. With the help of this technique, researcher easily analysis data in less period of time
and attain reliable outcomes within the investigation.
Sampling: It is necessary for researcher to select right sample size so that accurate and
reliable data can be easily gathered. Mainly, it is procedure of selecting sample size from the
larger population to gather valid information. Mainly, it is classified on the basis of two methods
such as probabilistic and non-probabilistic. In this, probabilistic sampling methods will be
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selected by researcher in which 30 respondents will be selected as per random basis. Selected
participants are employee of Marriott hotel.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Donthu, N. and Gustafsson, A., 2020. Effects of COVID-19 on business and research. Journal of
business research, 117, p.284.
Shin, H. and Kang, J., 2020. Reducing perceived health risk to attract hotel customers in the
COVID-19 pandemic era: Focused on technology innovation for social distancing and
cleanliness. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 91, p.102664.
Foroudi, P., Tabaghdehi, S.A.H. and Marvi, R., 2020. The gloom of the COVID-19 shock in the
hospitality industry: A study of consumer risk perception and adaptive belief in the dark cloud of
a pandemic. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 92, p.102717.
Davahli, M.R. and et. Al., 2020. The Hospitality Industry in the Face of the COVID-19
Pandemic: Current Topics and Research Methods. International Journal of Environmental
Research and Public Health, 17(20), p.7366.
Hu, X., Yan, H., Casey, T. and Wu, C.H., 2020. Creating a safe haven during the crisis: How
organizations can achieve deep compliance with COVID-19 safety measures in the hospitality
industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 92, p.102662.
Karim, W., Haque, A., Anis, Z. and Ulfy, M.A., 2020. The movement control order (mco) for
covid-19 crisis and its impact on tourism and hospitality sector in malaysia. International
Tourism and Hopitality Yournal, 3(2), pp.1-7.
Kaushal, V. and Srivastava, S., 2020. Hospitality and tourism industry amid COVID-19
pandemic: Perspectives on challenges and learnings from India. International Journal of
Hospitality Management, 92, p.102707.
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