THE FUTURE OF TOURISM POST COVID-19 PANDEMIC: FROM THE EGYPTIAN TOUR OPERATORS' PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic is the worst crisis the international tourism sector is facing, and UNWTO has revised its 2020 forecast. Full closure of borders led to a collapse in international tourism to Egypt with a loss in GDP and employment. UNWTO affirms that tourism will recover, but it won't be the same as before, which presents a gap to be filled. This paper aims to identify the changes in tourism industry components post COVID-19 pandemic as perceived by Egyptian Tour Operators. Survey data using questionnaires were collected from 373 employees. The results show that tourism will be more domestic, face mask and social distancing will become the new norm, tourist will choose hotels with an effective hygiene system, and health-check will be a must to enter airports and airplanes, which present a significant contribution to the understanding of the future of the tourism industry by policymakers, stakeholders and tourism researchers.