The research for the publication was done on companies based in Akureyri, Iceland, and focused on how companies responded to impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Noting that 2020 was the worst year in tourism history, the report looks at what strategies were used, the efficacy of responses, and how we can use this information to better prepare future responses to crises.
The research was done through qualitative data gathering collected via semi-structured interviews with a selection of tour operators, sightseeing businesses, and travel agencies. Some of the main strategies for resilience found through the report include cooperation, diversification, quality management, and economic support.
Within the report, climate is also discussed as a concern for the future of tourism, especially when it relates to the industry in the Arctic. While the report found that businesses were not often thinking about the changing climate in regard to the longevity of tourism, an overall increase in preparedness for the future does seem to have resulted from the responses to COVID-19.
The full report can be found on the RMF website.