Effects of crisis on crisis management practices: a case from Turkish tourism enterprises

Abstract

Crises are broadly thought to damage the tourism industry by decreasing tourism revenues due to reduced inbound tourism. This study investigated the negative short-term effects of crises on the crisis management practices of tourism enterprises in Turkey following terrorist attacks between 2015 and 2016, political tensions with the Russian Federation after a military aircraft was shot down in 2015, and the attempted coup in 2016. 219 valid questionnaires were obtained from representatives and managers of hotels, travel companies, airlines, and other tourism enterprises at the 10th Tourism Fair and Congress, Travel Turkey. The findings reveal that the three distinct but interrelated crises all significantly affected tourism enterprises in the short-term. These effects did not differ regarding type of enterprise or years of operation. The stressful working environment and increased costs mostly affected maintenance, human resources, government assistance, promotion, and product and pricing strategies.