The Impact of Postponing 2020 Tokyo Olympics on the Happiness of O-MO-TE-NA-SHI Workers in Tourism: A Consequence of COVID-19

Force majeure and changed circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of sports service contracts and judicial responses in China

This paper aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the performance of sports service contracts in China from a legal and judicial perspective. It attempts to contribute to the discussion on the applicability of the doctrines of force majeure and change of circumstances in the cases of impracticability of performance or obstructed performance due to COVID-19 and consequent government enforced pandemic control policies and measures. It reveals that courts in China have adopted a differentiated, pluralist, and practical approach according to the degree of the impact of COVID-19 preventive and control measures on the performance of contracts. The juridical responses by judges tend to favour the amendment of contract under the principle of changed circumstances with a view to balancing the interests of both parties to the contract and reducing the impact on the operations of the sport service industry. China’s experience suggests that it is important that courts adhere to the principle of fairness, the principle of balance of interests, and the principle of encouraging transaction in dealing with contract performance disputes caused by COVID-19, while the applicability of force majeure should be carefully examined in judicial practice.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sports industry

Sport is an important enabler of sustainable development and a cost-effective and flexible tool for development goals. International sports organizations such as International Olympic Committee and national or international sports federations play a significant role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For this, they take extensive and fundamental activities in joint with other international organizations such as the United Nations. But the global outbreak of the COVID-19 virus as the most important crisis of the present era had a profound effect on the performance of sports industry and its contribution to sustainable development. This chapter discusses the role of sport in sustainable development and the achievement of its goals through sport, and also discusses the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on how sport works and changes in the actions of sports organizations to help sustainable development during the pandemic.

Do You Want Sustainable Olympics? Environment, Disaster, Gender, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

The slogans of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were “symbol of resilience from the Great East Japan Earthquake” and “Compact Olympics”. The Olympics were also expected to demonstrate “gender equality” and to enhance sustainability in modern society. However, in practice, the cost of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 was far greater than estimated. The slogan was changed to “symbol of overcoming COVID-19” although in reality, infection spread dramatically during the games. Overall, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics did not turn out as expected or meet the expectations of the populace. Using individual-level data, we tested how and to what extent Japanese proponents of a sustainable society supported the compact Olympics announced in 2016. The key findings are: (1) most people support policies for environmental protection, gender equality, and disaster prevention and (2) they would have wished to reduce public expenditure for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Further examination with a questionnaire yielded similar results for the male but not for the female sample.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Tourism Industry: Applying TRIZ and DEMATEL to Construct a Decision-Making Model

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry is still being sustained, and the response of the tourism industry is an indispensable element that is increasingly recognized. This response has led to the emergence of literature about the impact of COVID-19 on the stakeholders of the tourism industry, thereby contributing to the industry. Nonetheless, the criteria factors and investigated practices for the implementation of decision-making by stakeholders in the tourism industry have not been fully explored. This study adopts Teorija Rezhenija Izobre-tatelskikh Zadach (TRIZ) principles and Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) methods to construct a gap model of tourism stakeholders (GMTS) which solves the tourism industry decision-making problem under COVID-19. With a research background in Taiwan’s tourism industry stakeholders made up of 15 expert participants, GMTS identified 11 criteria factors, of which the three most important criteria factors provide decision-making directions. The causal relationship between these criteria factors was examined, and a causal diagram was drawn to clarify the most important criteria factors. This research examined the criteria factor implementation perspective. Travel “bubble zones” that ensure both “safety and quality” were concluded upon under government policies in the countries and regions of the world. Furthermore, the tourism industry is responsible for the overall “planning and management” of the travel “bubble zones”. Therefore, the “quality management” criteria factor provides important key decision-making for tourism stakeholders. The research indicates that it is recommended to attach importance to the “quality management” of the international travel “bubble zone” as the priority decision-making criteria factor under the pandemic. Furthermore, conversion policies and tourism regulations are secondary criteria factors for improvement; when these two criteria factors are immediately improved, other criteria factors will be affected simultaneously and the degree of improvement will be weakened. In addition, GMTS was developed for the tourism industry. The article also provides research literature and practice implications for stakeholders in the tourism industry, thereby providing insight for tourism to obtain a clear understanding of how to prepare for the implementation of sustainable development.