Impact Analysis of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Informal Sector Business Tourism Economy in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study sought to conduct a socio-economic impact assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic on informal business tourism in Zimbabwe. The specific objective of this study was to identify the extent to which the informal business tourism economy in Zimbabwe has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and to prescribe guidelines and frameworks of workable actions to address the problems. As such, the study adopted a desktop research approach in which a thematic analysis of existing tourism development literature on business tourism in developing economies served as the basis for the arguments presented. Key issues highlighted in the paper include impacts on the supply of basic commodities and household income of the traders and business operations of the related businesses in the formal sector, traders’ survival strategies during the course of the national lockdown, and implications on the way forward. Furthermore, the study offers conclusions and implications drawn from the themes formulated from these key issues. The study also provides insights on the vulnerability of the informal business tourism sector to unforeseen occurrences, and how the affected stakeholder can recover from such a blow.