BM631 Research Methods: Impact of COVID-19 on Hospitality Sector

This research report investigates the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on organizations within the hospitality industry, with a specific focus on Marriott Hotel in the UK. The study aims to identify the key challenges faced by the hotel due to the pandemic, including interrupted supply chains, reduced service capabilities, and management issues. The research employs a quantitative method, utilizing surveys and a deductive approach to gather and analyze data from a sample of 30 hotel employees. The report also explores effective strategies that businesses in the hospitality sector can adopt to overcome the negative impacts of COVID-19, such as leveraging digital tools, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality to enhance competitiveness and attract customers. The research provides valuable insights into the challenges and potential solutions for the hospitality industry during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

BM631 Research Methods
CW1
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Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Literature Review.............................................................................................................................5
Proposed primary research...............................................................................................................5
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Introduction
Covid-19 crisis affected the world in adverse manner. This lead many individual to face
challenges and issues (Bonfanti, Vigolo and Yfantidou, 2021). This pandemic also created
number of challenges in front of business organization to conduct their roles and responsibilities
effectively. This crisis not only created threat on health economy and social disruption but also
impact on negative manner on business organization that lead them to face many economical and
financial losses (Li, Yao and Chen, 2021). Many companies around the world face challenges
such as interrupted supply chain network, inability to provide services to customers, shortage of
supplies and imports due to government mandated lockdowns as well as other strict measures.
This research is conducted on the impact of Covid- 19 on business operations dealing in
hospitality industry. For this research Marriott Hotel United Kingdom is being selected this hotel
offer wide range of products and services to customers. Present search proposal include the aim
of the impact of COVID-19 crisis on organization in the hospitality industry for this research
aim, objectives, questions is being framed along with literature review and a proposed primary
research method.
Background of research
Present research conduct in depth evaluation of the impact of COVID-19 on organization in
hospitality industry. With this research the impact of covert crisis on companies in the hospitality
industry along with the challenges that has been faced by them is underlined (Hao, 2021).
Furthermore, research include certain effective strategies through which organisations like
Marriott Hotel can implement the same in order to overcome the issues that has been outline by
COVID-19 outbreak.
Research Aim
To identify the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on organisations in the hospitality industry.
A study on Marriott hotel, UK
Research objectives
 To examine the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on organisations in the hospitality industry.
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 To evaluate the key challenges faced by Marriott hotel, the UK due to the Covid-19
pandemic.
 To determine the effective strategies that businesses in the hospitality industry can adopt
to overcome the Covid-19 impact.
Research Questions
 What is the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on organisations in the hospitality industry?
 What are the key challenges faced by Marriott hotel, the UK due to the Covid-19
pandemic?
 What are the effective strategies that businesses in the hospitality industry can adopt to
overcome the Covid-19 impact?
Rationale
Present research is rational as it is conducted on the impact of COVID-19 impact on
organizations dealing in hospitality industry. This research helps in determining the challenges
that has been faced by most of the organization in this sector along with the strategies through
which company can implement the same in order to overcome the COVID-19 crisis (Jiang and
Wen, 2020). Present research is also rational as it helps in developing academic objective of
researcher as it increases the current level of knowledge and skill and develop ever ready to
conduct future research in effective manner.
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Literature Review
Impact of the Covid-19 crisis on organisations in the hospitality industry
According to the viewpoint of Thams, Rempel and Ayia-Koi, 2020 the outbreak of COVID-19
has drastically affected the manner of living along with number of global business operations.
Furthermore, has been evaluated that many business organisations get severely affected due to
this outbreak because of government rules, restrictions, guidelines policies which affected
organizations’ ability to conduct their business activities. Furthermore, it has been evaluated that
outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic not only affected individuals manner of living but also created
challenges in terms of them financial loss as well as operational loss. There are many business
sectors around the world those who have been hardly hit by the outbreak of this pandemic. Some
of these industries include manufacturing retail aviation etc (Wei, 2019). In this it has been
underlined that hospitality industry was among the hardest hit organizations in which companies
faced restrictions that affected their ability to generate profit the outbreak of this pandemic. It
created number of challenges in front of hospitality industry and adversely affected their ability
to provide job opportunities to individual. Furthermore, t has been evaluated that number of
business organization in this sector were forced to shutdown their business operation for
permanent or temporary basis. Thus, from the above analysis it has been underlined that the
outbreak of COVID-19 created many adverse impact on business organization in adverse
manner. In this hospitality industry was among the hardest hit sector which has been affected in
adverse manner.
Key challenges faced by Marriott hotel, the UK due to the Covid-19 pandemic
As per the view point of Jones and Comfort, 2020 there are number of challenges that has been
failed due to the outbreak of Covid 19 by business organizations. It has been evaluated at
Marriott hotel, the UK faced number of challenges in front of them due to the outbreak of Covid-
19. Some of these are inclusive of challenges to even survive. Covid-19 crisis created number of
issues in front of Marriott hotel, the UK in terms of poor management of people as well as
providing services and facilities to customers. The outbreak of this pandemic created challenges
in front of hotel to provide proper management of employees with the help of developing strong
communication network (Li, Yao and Chen, 2021). Furthermore it has been underlined that hotel
has been gone through challenges like interrupted supply chain network, along with increase in
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price of raw materials. It also generated inability to provide services and facilities to customers
and management of data and information an increase in the level of overall competition.
Effective strategies that businesses in the hospitality industry can adopt to overcome the
Covid-19 impact
As per the view point of Louis, Steadman and Warnaby, 2022 Covid-19 crisis affected each
business industry around the globe and created number of challenges and issues. In this
hospitality industry faced number of key challenges which affected their ability to conduct
business operation. However there are number of strategies through which organization dealing
in this sector can provide services to customers effective manner (Ruel and Njoku, 2020). In this
with the help of undertaking use of digital tools and technologies and taking advantage of
artificial intelligence hotel can enhance their competitiveness. Along with this virtual reality is
also one of the most effective form of strategy through which hotel can attract customers.
Proposed primary research
This research is conducted with the help of undertaking use of quantitative method which is
based on objective nature of research. In order to fulfill present research aims and objective
investigator with the help of quantitative nature of research method will collect information and
data in statistical manner in order to easily present them (Jones and Comfort, 2020). In addition
to this with the help of taking advantage of this method researchers will further present them
with the help of charts and tables in a systematic and attractive manner, In addition to this
researcher will undertake advantage of positivism research philosophy in order to accomplish
research objective in a practical and scientific manner. Furthermore researcher will undertake use
of deductive research approach in order to conduct better testing and canning of numeric facts
and figures. Furthermore in context with resource strategy investigator will undertake use of
survey method in order to obtain information from selected sample size of population with the
help of taking use of questionnaire as a primary data collection method investigator will select a
sample size of 30 respondents those who will be employees of the hotel. The main justification
behind taking them is respondent is that they are having feasible and appropriate knowledge
associated to the present topic.
This proposal is doable as it helps in evaluating viewpoint of respondents of they selected
organization with the help of survey method. Furthermore it has been underlined that if they
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selected method does not work then there is a plan B in which with the help of the interview
method as a backup plan appropriate information and data can be collected from respondents.
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References
Books and Journals
Bonfanti, A., Vigolo, V. and Yfantidou, G., 2021. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on
customer experience design: The hotel managers’ perspective. International Journal of
Hospitality Management, 94, p.102871.
Li, Y., Yao, J. and Chen, J., 2021. The negative effect of scarcity cues on consumer purchase
decisions in the hospitality industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. International
Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, p.102815.
Hao, F., 2021. Acceptance of contactless technology in the hospitality industry: extending the
unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism
Research, 26(12), pp.1386-1401.
Jiang, Y. and Wen, J., 2020. Effects of COVID-19 on hotel marketing and management: a
perspective article. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Jones, P. and Comfort, D., 2020. The COVID-19 crisis and sustainability in the hospitality
industry. International journal of contemporary hospitality management.
Li, Y., Yao, J. and Chen, J., 2021. The negative effect of scarcity cues on consumer purchase
decisions in the hospitality industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. International
Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, p.102815.
Louis, N., Parker, C., Skinner, H., Steadman, C. and Warnaby, G., 2022. Tourism and
Hospitality industry resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic: Evidence from
England. Current Issues in Tourism, 25(1), pp.46-59.
Ruel, H. and Njoku, E., 2020. AI redefining the hospitality industry. Journal of Tourism Futures.
Thams, A., Zech, N., Rempel, D. and Ayia-Koi, A., 2020. An initial assessment of economic
impacts and operational challenges for the tourism & hospitality industry due to
COVID-19 (No. 2/2020). IUBH Discussion Papers-Tourismus & Hospitality.
Wei, W., 2019. Research progress on virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in tourism
and hospitality: A critical review of publications from 2000 to 2018. Journal of
Hospitality and Tourism Technology.
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