Impacts of the Implementation of "New Normal" Practices: A Case Study of The Hotel Business in Phuket, Thailand
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Abstract
COVID-19 has significant impacts on economic activities and human lives globally. To avoid the risk of infections, safety, hygiene, and cleanliness become major concerns during the pandemic. All businesses were required to adopt a new strategic response to manage this new shift. In this regard, a new concept of living called "New Normal" was introduced and widely adopted as a new norm in both daily life and business operations. High-touch industries such as hospitality, aviation, and transportation were forced to encounter this situation along with having the decline of consumption rates. To maintain the business position and gain the trust and confidence of potential customers, various measures have been implemented to assure the survival of the industry. New Normal practices have caused many challenges and changes in business operations. Currently, most articles or studies present only a dimension that illustrates the impacts of COVID-19 on an industry, but there is not many that uncover the impacts of the implementation of new normal practices encountered by the hotel industy. This article aims to study the current implementations of new normal practices in the hotel industy in Phuket and investigate their impact. Moreover, the article also provides suggestions to eliminate the burdens that hotels experience.
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