Impact of the COVID-19 on the Destination Choices of Hungarian Tourists: A Comparative Analysis

Understanding the secondary outcomes of international travel measures during the covid-19 pandemic: a scoping review of social impact evidence

BACKGROUND

Assessment of the effective use of international travel measures during the COVID-19 pandemic has focused on public health goals, namely limiting virus introduction and onward transmission. However, risk-based approaches includes the weighing of public health goals against potential social, economic and other secondary impacts. Advancing risk-based approaches thus requires fuller understanding of available evidence on such impacts.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review of existing studies of the social impacts of international travel measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Applying a standardized typology of travel measures, and five categories of social impact, we searched 9 databases across multiple disciplines spanning public health and the social sciences. We identified 26 studies for inclusion and reviewed their scope, methods, type of travel measure, and social impacts analysed.

RESULTS

The studies cover a diverse range of national settings with a strong focus on high-income countries. A broad range of populations are studied, hindered in their outbound or inbound travel. Most studies focus on 2020 when travel restrictions were widely introduced, but limited attention is given to the broader effects of their prolonged use. Studies primarily used qualitative or mixed methods, with adaptations to comply with public health measures. Most studies focused on travel restrictions, as one type of travel measure, often combined with domestic public health measures, making it difficult to determine their specific social impacts. All five categories of social impacts were observed although there was a strong emphasis on negative social impacts including family separation, decreased work opportunities, reduced quality of life, and inability to meet cultural needs. A small number of countries identified positive social impacts such as restored work-life balance and an increase in perceptions of safety and security.

CONCLUSIONS

While international travel measures were among the most controversial interventions applied during the COVID-19 pandemic, given their prolonged use and widespread impacts on individuals and populations, there remains limited study of their secondary impacts. If risk-based approaches are to be advanced, involving informed choices between public health and other policy goals, there is a need to better understand such impacts, including their differential impacts across diverse populations and settings.

The impact of anti-COVID measures on accommodation performance

Background

This article analyses mass accommodation facilities to examine the development of Czech tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and 2021.

Methods

The questionnaire survey was carried out in March 2021 in mass accommodation facilities. 131 responses were received from hotels and guesthouses throughout Czechia, which represents a return rate of 20%. Data were processed using Pearson's chi-square test to determine the effect of changes in facility type and category, quality, location, and primary focus before the outbreak of the pandemic. A statistical analysis of data on overnight stays was also used with data from the public database of the Czech Statistical Office.

Results

The study confirmed the increasing importance of domestic tourism and the greater sensitivity of destinations dependent on foreign tourists. Future strategies should be associated with destination rather than corporate management. The challenges are linked to the strengthening of environmentally friendly and sustainable tourism. To what extent the post-covid situation will return to the original model and to what extent it will at least partially reflect the changes that took place during the crisis period is a question for future research.

Conclusions

Moving from operational to strategic measures would be advisable.

Navigating crisis: The effect of COVID-19 on sports entrepreneurs and service excellence in non-profit organizations

Sports organizations have deemed sports entrepreneurship crucial in helping them overcome difficult times. The purpose of this research is to find out how the COVID-19 issue affected sports entrepreneurs and whether there are any variations in how non-profit sporting organizations anticipate entrepreneurs' effect on service excellence. This goal was achieved by comparing 145 sports organizations before and after the viral epidemic. The factors evaluated before (Time 1) and after (Time 2) the COVID-19 epidemic were compared using paired sample-t tests. Associations and multilevel linear declines were utilized to examine the link between the factors discussed in the two phases. After the emergence of COVID-19, the findings suggest that risk-taking and creativity are much more significant, although initiative has mostly stayed the same. Lastly, a favourable and statistically substantial correlation exists between sports entrepreneurial and service excellence during pre- and post-crisis periods.

Data on changes in travel destination preferences of Thai domestic travelers before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

This data article analyzes the changes in travel habits and destination preferences among Thai domestic travelers before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The data was collected through an online survey conducted on Facebook, Line, and Instagram, with a sample size of 460 valid respondents. The article provides descriptive statistics and frequency data on travel behavior and attitudes related to various tourist attractions before and after the onset of the pandemic. These insights can be valuable for transportation and tourist destination management in Thailand, as they can be used to compare with other studies using similar methods and outcomes and help to develop specialized and targeted solutions for addressing changes in travel trends and demand after the pandemic. For more information, see the full article titled "Using factor analyses to understand the post-pandemic travel behavior in domestic tourism through a questionnaire survey."

The Measurable Predominance of Weekend Trips in Established Tourism Regions—The Case of Visitors from Budapest at Waterside Destinations

Short trips to weekend destinations are less researched than more conventional forms of tourism involving longer trips and overnight stays, because quantitative data are hard to procure on the behavior of such weekend tourists. As a result, the effects of these day trips on secondary destinations cannot be measured, yet weekend tourism does contribute to the economic sustainability of many tourism regions. In this study, we analyzed geotagged photography uploaded to Flickr.com in the Budapest metropolitan area, the Danube Bend north of the Hungarian capital, and the Northern Balaton Region. Analysis of the spatio-temporal activity of photographers revealed Flickr users who live in the analyzed regions or in foreign countries, identifying the locals, weekend visitors from Budapest, those from other Hungarian regions, and foreign tourists. The predominance of visitors from Budapest was measured in both of the water-side destinations, and the spatial patterns of such visitors were more dispersed than the more concentrated spatial patterns of foreign tourists. These results show how day-trippers spread out the economic effects of tourism to much wider geographic areas than conventional tourists. Therefore, more focus should be directed toward these previously invisible forms of visits among the scientific community, policy makers, and the tourism industry.

The Impact of Green Marketing on Consumer Behavior in the Market of Palm Oil Products

The aim of the article is to examine the impact of green marketing on consumer behavior in the market for products containing palm oil. The first chapter addresses the theoretical approach—the impact of green marketing on consumer behavior. We considered a questionnaire survey to be the most appropriate method to conduct our research. In order to test our hypotheses, we applied Crosstab and Pearson’s chi-square test. The strength of the relationship between the variables was measured using Cramer’s V. The third chapter presents the research results based on the processed information of 527 obtained datasheets from the respondents. The data were collected from Slovak consumers in the summer of 2021. Hypotheses H1 (There is a significant relationship between the opinion of the consumer regarding purchasing products containing palm oil and the knowledge that the product does contain palm oil.) and H2 (There is a relationship between the consumer willingness to refuse the purchase of certain products if it has negative impact on the environment and the generational group the consumer belongs to.) were approved, however the relationship proved to be weak in both cases. The research makes it clear that the majority of consumers do not spend time reading descriptions on product packaging. It might be helpful for companies to make it clear and visible on the packaging that their product does not contain palm oil, informing the consumer and influencing them with the negative emotional message of the advert. The obtained research results are useful both for the producers and the customers.