Impact of Covid-19 on Sales in UK Hospitality Sector: A Case Study on Travelodge Hotels

This research proposal aims to investigate the negative impacts of Covid-19 on sales in the UK hospitality sector, with a case study on Travelodge Hotels. It will examine the overall impact of the pandemic on sales, analyze the challenges faced by Travelodge Hotels, and recommend solutions to mitigate the impact. The research will use qualitative research methods, including literature review and data collection through questionnaires. The research timetable spans over 7 weeks.

TM6106 Research
Project

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Rationale......................................................................................................................................3
Aim..............................................................................................................................................3
Objectives....................................................................................................................................3
Research Questions......................................................................................................................4
Literature Review........................................................................................................................4
Research Methods........................................................................................................................5
Research Timetable.....................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Covid-19 has become one of the major discussed topics across the world because it has
negatively impacted overall business sectors i.e. clothing, food, retail and hospitality sector.
However, covid-19 pandemic has highly impacted to hospitality industry as compared others
because others like retail industry is allowed to sell product and services to the customers across
the world through digital media but government across global restricts tourists and visitors to
visit place in other countries and suggests them not to stay in hotels (Kim, Kim and Park, 2017).
Thus, hospitality industry unable to attract customers to visit places and have enjoy of leisure’s
in hotel. So, in this research proposal will discuss about issues that have faced by Travelodge
hotel in UK’s hospitality sector due to covid-19 pandemic. In this research proposal will
included aims and objectives of the Travelodge Hotels.
Rationale
The proposed research topic is quite beneficial for all UK’s hospitality companies
because still most of the hotel companies are facing various challenges due to Covid-19. In this
research proposal will be highlighted realistic issues that are facing by hospitality industry
currently. Travelodge is UK’s hotel which offers it’s hotel services across the world. It is facing
huge challenges currently due to covid-19 pandemic. In this research will be evident that
particularly hotel industry has faced most cruel burnt of this pandemic whereas small hotel
companies or ventures had come to the point of shut down and large companies are still
struggling with multiple challenges. However, this research will support to hospitality companies
to adapt probable solution on proposed challenges in order to decrease negative impact and
sustain businesses in hospitality market.
Aim
“To investigate several negative impacts on sales in hospitality sector of the UK after the
global pandemic of Covid-19. A case study on Travelodge hotels”.
Objectives
 To examine the overall impact of Covid-19 on the sales in the hospitality sector.
 To determine the impact of Covid-19 pandemic that has on the sales of Travelodge
Hotels.
 To critically analyse the multiple challenges that the decreasing sales will present.

 To recommend some solution based on the challenges identified.
Research Questions
 How hospitality companies in United Kingdom has been affected due to Covid-19?
 What are the impacts of this pandemic of sales of Travelodge hotels?
 What are the multiple challenges that obtains before the hotel due to diminishing sales?
 What recommendation can be suggested to resolve identified challenges?
Literature Review
According to Stienmetz, Liu and Tussyadiah, 2019, many governments across global had taken
initiative of lockdown to break chain of corona virus spreading and aware people not to go out
from houses and avoids travelling and staying at hotels. Such awareness in people has brought
scariness, so they prefer to stay at home instead of visiting or staying in hotels. Thus, different
consequences have led huge financial loss in hospitality industry. Due to this large number of
people who offers their services in hospitality industry have lost their job. In addition, there is
very less occupancy of customers in hospitality industry due to covid-19 pandemic. Hospitality
industry is interconnected with different services which are also negatively impacted. There are
some key factors that affects the market after the pandemic in which includes the decline in tour
and travel as number of flights are getting cancelled. The government across the world are
cancelling most of the foreign visits and locking down most of the areas which is one of the
major issues behind the slowing down of hospitality market. As per the view of Viglia, Minazzi
and Buhalis, (2016), Covid-19 pandemic has injuriously impacted on the sales of Travelodge
Hotel such as it unable to occupy customers in it’s room because still UK’s people are scaring to
stay in hotels. Lack of employee’s productivity in the Hotel is another reason that disturbs
overall operation of business and unable to offer efficient services to the presented customers. In
fact, post covid-19 has created various challenges for the hospitality industry such as
governments across global have implemented several guidelines for the hospitality industry to
run business promptly i.e. social distancing, no contact delivery, lack of availability of staff,
customer’s and employee protection tool, virus detecting equipment’s etc. As per the view of
Maliuga, (2020) crisis management is another approach of Travelodge that supports company to
deal with disruptive and unexpected events which can be threaten to harm the company and it’s
stakeholder. According to Dobie and et.al., (2018) resilience in hotel means a way of improving

sustainability after an ecological or environmental disaster like Covid-19 pandemic and provides
an alternative sustainable development to recover from hospitality induced stress. Travelodge
Hotel have to follow all these guidelines due to this it unable to operate it’s business effectively.
But these safety precautions can support Travelodge Hotel to ensure it’s guest that it is
complying with all government’s rules and can encourages guest’s to buy it’s hotel services.
Research Methods
 Research Types: Research can de defined as the process of collecting information from
available material in order to determine appropriate outcomes of the proposed problem of
the study. There are two types of research i.e. qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative
research type will use in this research because it helps maintain quality in collected
information that is one of the major advantages of this method. But it is bit time-
consuming and needs expertise to collect information that is one of the major drawbacks
of this method.
 Research Approaches: There are two type research approaches i.e. deductive and
inductive. Deductive research approach will use for this research because it will support
to select right research method that is one of the major advantages of this approach. the
major drawback of this research approach is that younger readers cannot understand the
concepts (Chu and Ke, 2017).
 Research Design: In this research will use descriptive research design because it assists to
understand the nature of demographic segment. The major drawback of this research
approach is that it cannot test or determine the research issue statistically.
 Data Collection: Primary and secondary are the two methods of data collection. In this
research will use both methods for data collection, the major advantage of primary data
collection is that it helps to gather all realistic data through sample population but it is
quite time-consuming process. To collect primary data will use questioner’s method that
helps to collect realistic data from the sample population. On the other hand, secondary
data is collected through available resources that is one of the major advantages of this
method because researches can easily illustrate data from available resources. But the
major drawback of this research method s that research should have knowledge to

analyse authenticity of available resources then they can interpret secondary data
effectively (Vass, Rigby and Payne, 2017). Primary and secondary method will be used
for colleting data over the proposed research topic.
 Data Analysis: Thematic method will use in the research project because it supports to
distribute whole data into themes which can easily interpret that is one of the main
benefit of this method. The limitation of this method is that it is flexible and this
flexibility often lead inconsistency and lack of coherence when creating themes.
 Sampling Method: Random sampling method will be used to select sample population
from wide population. 50 people will be taken as sample population from Travelodge
Hotel for the interview session so that logical conclusion can be drawn. In the 50 people
will involve Travelodge’s employees who offers their services in the company to the
customers.
 Ethical consideration: In this research project will comply with all guidelines associated
with ethical considerations by the researcher and maintains dignity and respect of sample
population while asking questions in the interview session.
Research Timetable
Task 1 Weeks 2 Weeks 3 Weeks 4 weeks 5 Weeks 7 Weeks
Aims and
Objectives
Literature
Review
Research
Methodology
Data Collection
Conclusion

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Chu, H. and Ke, Q., 2017. Research methods: What's in the name?. Library & Information
Science Research. 39(4). pp.284-294.
Kim, S.Y., Kim, J.U. and Park, S.C., 2017. The effects of perceived value, website trust and
hotel trust on online hotel booking intention. Sustainability. 9(12). p.2262.
Stienmetz, J.L., Liu, A. and Tussyadiah, I.P., 2019. UK residents’ opinions of peer-to-peer
accommodation impact on quality of life. In Information and Communication
Technologies in Tourism 2019 (pp. 80-91). Springer, Cham.
Vass, C., Rigby, D. and Payne, K., 2017. The role of qualitative research methods in discrete
choice experiments: a systematic review and survey of authors. Medical Decision
Making. 37(3). pp.298-313.
Viglia, G., Minazzi, R. and Buhalis, D., 2016. The influence of e-word-of-mouth on hotel
occupancy rate. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Maliuga, L., 2020, May. CRISIS MANAGEMENT OF HOTEL AND RESTAURANT
BUSINESS ENTERPRISES. In The 17 the International scientific and practical
conference «SCIENCE, TRENDS AND PERSPECTIVES»(18-19 May, 2020). Tokyo,
Japan 2020. 432 p. ISBN-978-1-64871-420-7 (p. 49).
Dobie, S and et.al., 2018. Hotels as critical hubs for destination disaster resilience: An analysis of
hotel corporations’ CSR activities supporting disaster relief and
resilience. Infrastructures, 3(4), p.46.