Since human civilisation, natural disasters and outbreaks, especially pandemics and epidemics, have irrevocably affected human lives and their related socio-cultural and economic systems. The COVID-19, which began proliferating in December 2019, stemming the disease’s spread and transmission to all the segments of the world population, reported the biggest shock. The coronavirus pandemic also had an immense impact on worldwide hospitality and tourism. In pandemics / natural disasters, both industry and academia are pushed to respond radically to strategising risk management—the tourism and hospitality organisations across the industry struggled for survival. The tourism and hotel organisations were forced to redesign their business models as COVID-19 exposes inherent vulnerabilities in the globalised marketplace.

Moreover, extreme pandemics may be a challenge for the people involved and an opportunity as the socio-economic system may change its structure and functions and potentially adapt to the new scenario shaped by any kind of natural calamity COVID-19. This fact claims for the consideration that the socio-economic disturbances generated by COVID-19 need to be carefully taken into account. Indeed, more innovative researches have sought to extend our understanding of tourism and hospitality business models/approaches/systems at macro and micro levels in the context of natural crises and disasters. Thus, with this backdrop of the current crises due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitality and tourism industry, the present special issue aims to identify the concerns, challenges, impacts and strategies for survival and revival of the hospitality & tourism industry during and post-pandemic times. The current COVID-19 crisis is also an opportunity to reflect on the research experiences in the above context.

This special issue addresses aspects of all of the above in the context of Hospitality & Tourism. It draws on applied research and viewpoints from academicians and practitioners, higher education leaders and stakeholders. It also considers a wide array of perspectives – functional, operational and strategic. Various dimensions have been covered upon this particular issue, such as - forecasting short-run tourism demand and GDP in the face of large exogenous shocks; Covid-19 and the future of tourism; changing travel preferences post-covid; beyond Covid-19: an opportunity for a new tourism sector; post-lockdown eatingout: apprehensions and expectations; destination brand communication during Covid-19 pandemic; an overview of education in India during Covid-19 pandemic; crisis communication and destination image management during Covid-19; the impact of Covid-19 on luxury consumption in tourism; coronavirus (Covid-19) and crisis management; human resource practices in Indian hotels; effectiveness of online platform for efficient learning amongst tourism students during Covid19; technology adoption in tourism and hospitality pedagogy and other related areas.

We hope that readers will derive a deeper understanding of the dynamic changes occurring in the tourism and hospitality industry. We are hopeful that the articles in this special issue of the International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Systems will be of interest and value to a global readership, given the extent and severity of the pandemic.

Enjoy Reading!

Mohinder Chand & Ashish Dahiya