The Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak on the Accommodation Selection of Azorean Tourists. A Study Based on the Assessment of the Azores Population’s Attitudes

Rui Alexandre Castanho, Gualter Couto, Pedro Pimentel, Áurea Sousa, Célia Carvalho and Maria da Graça Batista
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Rui Alexandre Castanho: School of Business and Economics and CEEAplA, University of Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Gualter Couto: School of Business and Economics and CEEAplA, University of Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Pedro Pimentel: School of Business and Economics and CEEAplA, University of Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Áurea Sousa: Faculty of Sciences and Technology and CEEAplA, University of Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Célia Carvalho: Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal
Maria da Graça Batista: School of Business and Economics and CEEAplA, University of Azores, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Portugal

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 23, 1-14

Abstract: Tourists’ intentions show many changing dynamics, both in terms of destination and accommodation selection. These changes in dynamics are seasonal and significantly affected by trends. Therefore, after an infectious disease outbreak, as is the case with COVID-19 caused by a new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, these dynamics change on an entirely different level and are so far unknown. Contextual research was conducted to define and analyze the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 on Azores residents’ tourism accommodations plans in 2020 by examining their intentions. The most frequent choice was to spend 2020 vacations at the vacation residences of family or friends (24.3%), followed by approximately 20% who chose three- to four-star hotels. A considerable increase in rural tourism accommodation selection intentions was noticed, obtaining the third position with 13.7%, followed by local accommodation (guest house) with 12.1% of the selection intentions. The study concludes that there are massive consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 crisis at the level of holiday choices and social isolation concerns for this ultra-peripheral territory.

Keywords: accommodation preference; Azores Islands; COVID-19 crisis; regional studies; sustainable tourism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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