1
|
Lindsay-Smith G, Pyke J, Gamage A, Nguyen V, de Lacy T. Tourism operator mental health and its relationship with SME organisational resilience during disasters. TOURISM MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES 2022; 42:100961. [PMID: 36277033 PMCID: PMC9576215 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmp.2022.100961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Crises have a negative, and often long-lasting impact on mental health. The stress of dealing with the ongoing and unpredictable aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented rise in mental health problems including low mood, depression and anxiety. Tourism businesses have faced ongoing challenges, with repeated lockdowns and drastically reduced tourist numbers and mental health challenges faced by operators may impact the resilience of tourism organisations and vice versa. Few studies have examined this. Our study in Victoria, Australia documents the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on owners and managers (operators) of small to medium tourism businesses and explores organisational factors that may impact or protect operator mental health during the crisis. Our findings show that the mental health of the cohort reached critically low levels over the course of the pandemic. We also identify positive associations between tourism organisational resilience and operator mental health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Lindsay-Smith
- Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator, Health Services, Deakin University, Burwood Campus, Victoria, Australia
| | - Joanne Pyke
- School for the Visitor Economy (SVE) & Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Industries and Livable Cities (ISILC), Victoria University, Ballarat Rd, Footscray, 3011 Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ancy Gamage
- School for the Visitor Economy, Victoria University, Ballarat Rd, Footscray, 3011 Melbourne, Australia
- School for the Visitor Economy (SVE) & Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Industries and Livable Cities (ISILC), Victoria University, Ballarat Rd, Footscray, 3011 Melbourne, Australia
| | - VanKhanh Nguyen
- Institute for Sustainable Industries and Livable Cities (ISILC), Victoria University, Ballarat Rd, Footscray, 3011 Melbourne, Australia
- School for the Visitor Economy (SVE) & Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Industries and Livable Cities (ISILC), Victoria University, Ballarat Rd, Footscray, 3011 Melbourne, Australia
| | - Terry de Lacy
- Institute of Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Ballarat Rd, Footscray, 3011 Melbourne, Australia
- School for the Visitor Economy (SVE) & Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainable Industries and Livable Cities (ISILC), Victoria University, Ballarat Rd, Footscray, 3011 Melbourne, Australia
| |
Collapse
|