A chaos theory approach to understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism businesses in Plateau State, Nigeria

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dc.contributor.advisorDonaldson, S. E.en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorIirmdu, Tina Odinakachien_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-10-14T12:08:23Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-16T12:41:39Z
dc.date.available2022-10-14T12:08:23Z
dc.date.available2023-01-16T12:41:39Z
dc.date.issued2022-12
dc.descriptionThesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: Nations worldwide are grappling with the challenges of crises and disasters affecting the tourism industry. The coronavirus (COVID-19) which unexpectedly broke out in 2019 in Wuhan, China spread around the world in 2020, paralyzing tourism businesses. Previous crisis impact management strategies in tourism have relied heavily on linear deterministic models, which are incapable of considering the complex and chaotic nature of the tourism system. The use of chaos theory for crisis management in the tourism industry during the pandemic is still an emerging field that is yet to be fully explored. This study helps bridge this knowledge gap by using chaos theory to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism businesses in the Plateau State of Nigeria. A pragmatic mixed-method inductive research approach was followed in this study. This approach made it possible to obtain valid and reliable data by conducting semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey as the primary data collection techniques. A total of 24 semi-structured interviews were conducted with the managers and owners of tourism businesses to gather information on the business management practices and risk management strategies they used during the health crisis. In addition, tourism business managers completed a total of 227 questionnaires on the impact of the pandemic on their businesses, while 408 tourists completed the questionnaire on their experiences during the pandemic. The information from the semi-structured interviews was thematically analyzed and descriptive statistics were used to examine questionnaire survey data. Findings about the tourists’ experiences during the pandemic show that non-pharmaceutical interventions have changed tourism practices and tourist behaviour. The pandemic has boosted self-organization among tourists, they have become more aware of the pandemic and they are wary of protecting themselves when travelling, instead of avoiding travel altogether. Moreover, the pandemic has significantly affected the economy of tourism businesses. Due to lockdowns and restrictions, business managers increased product prices because of sharp rises in food prices, witnessed reduced demand and cutbacks in staff wages. Other tourism businesses were able to retain their workers and maintain staff salaries because they were profiting by raising prices of products and providing essential services to customers which they considered a blessing in disguise. The study also identified business management practices and risk management strategies used by the managers of tourism businesses during the pandemic. Businesses suddenly found themselves on the edge of chaos. As a result, managers had to self-organize and invest in new markets while creating unusual attractions as a lock-in effect to reward and retain existing customers and, perhaps, add new ones. The study also provided empirical evidence confirming the futility of the one-size-fits-all approach of deterministic linear models in crisis management. It is recommended that further Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za iv investigation be done into the socio-economic impact of the pandemic on other components of the versatile tourism industry in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. The research results contribute to a better understanding and management of crisis from the point of view of chaos theory, with particular emphasis on the tourism sector of Plateau State.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nasies wereldwyd worstel met die uitdaging van krisisse en rampe wat die toerismebedryf raak. Die koronavirus (COVID-19), wat onverwags in 2019 in Wuhan, Sjina, uitgebreek het, het in 2020 oor die hele wereld versprei en toerisme-ondernemings lamgele. Vorige strategie vir krisis impakbestuur in toerisme het swaar gesteun op lineere deterministiese modelle, wat nie daartoe in staat is om die komplekse en chaotiese aard van die toerismestelsel te verreken nie. Die gebruik van chaosteorie vir krisisbestuur in die toerismebedryf gedurende die pandemie is ’n ontluikende terrein wat nog ten volle verken moet word. Hierdie studie help oorbrug hierdie kennisleemte deur die impak van die COVID-19-pandemie op toerisme-ondernemings in die Plato-staat van Nigerie met behulp van chaosteorie te ondersoek. ’n Pragmatiese gemengdemetode-induktiewe navorsingsbenadering is vir die studie gebruik. Hierdie benadering het dit moontlik gemaak om geldige en betroubare data te bekom deur van semigestruktureerde onderhoude en vraelystopnames as primere data-insamelingstegnieke gebruik te maak. Altesaam 24 semigestruktureerde onderhoude is met die eienaars en/of bestuurders van toerisme-ondernemings gevoer om inligting in te win oor die ondernemingsbestuurspraktyke en risikobestuurstrategiee wat hulle gedurende die gesondheidskrisis gebruik het. Die toerisme ondernemingsbestuurders van het boonop ‘n totale van 227 vraelyste oor die impak van die pandemie op hulle ondernemings voltooi, terwyl 408 toeriste vraelyste voltooi het oor hulle ervarings gedurende die pandemie. Die inligting uit die semigestruktureerde onderhoude is tematies ontleed, en beskrywende statistiek is gebruik om die data uit die vraelysteopname te ondersoek. Bevindinge oor toeriste se ervarings gedurende die pandemie toon dat niefarmaseutiese ingrypings toerismeprktyke en toeristegedrag verander het. Die pandemie het selforganisasie onder toeriste aangewakker, hulle is nou meer bewus van die pandemie en bedag daarop om hulleself te beskerm wanneer hulle reis, in plaas daarvan om reis in die geheel te vermy. Die bevindinge dui verder daarop dat die pandemie die ekonomie van toerisme-ondernemings aansienlik beinvloed het. As gevolg van inperkings en beperkings, het sakebestuurders produkpryse verhoog as gevolg van skerp stygings in voedselpryse, getuie van verminderde vraag en besnoeiings in personeellone. Ander toerisme-ondernemings kon al hul werkers behou en personeel se salarisse handhaaf omdat hulle voordeel getrek het deur pryse van produkte te verhoog en noodsaaklike dienste aan kliente te verskaf wat hulle as 'n bedekte seen beskou het. Die studie identifiseer ook die ondernemingsbestuurspraktyke en risikobestuurstrategiee wat toerisme-ondernemings gedurende die pandemie gebruik het. Ondernemings het hulle skielik op die rand van chaos bevind. Gevolglik moes bestuurders selforganiseer en bele in nuwe markte, en terselfdertyd nuwe, ongewone trekpleisters skep as ’n vaspenmeganisme om bestaande kliente te beloon en te behou, en dalk nuwes by te kry. Die bevindinge bied voorts empiriese bewyse wat die nutteloosheid van die een-pas-almal-benadering van deterministiese lineere modelle vir krisisbestuur bevestig. Dit word aanbeveel dat verdere ondersoeke onderneem word na die sosio-ekonomiese impak van die pandemie op ander komponente van die veelsydige reis- en toerismebedryf in Nigerie en die res van Afrika. Die navorsingsresultate dra by tot beter krisisbegrip en -bestuur uit die oogpunt van chaosteorie, met besondere klem op die toerismesektor van die Nigeriese Plato-staat.af_ZA
dc.description.versionDoctoralen_ZA
dc.format.extentxviii, 275 pages : illustrationsen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/125927
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectTourism -- Economic aspects -- Nigeria -- Plateau Stateen_ZA
dc.subjectCOVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- -- Influenceen_ZA
dc.subjectTourism -- Social aspects -- Nigeria -- Plateau Stateen_ZA
dc.subjectTourism -- Health aspects -- Nigeria -- Plateau Stateen_ZA
dc.subjectCovid 19 (Disease) -- Economic aspects -- Nigeria -- Plateau Stateen_ZA
dc.subjectTravel restrictions -- Economic aspects -- Nigeria -- Plateau Stateen_ZA
dc.subjectTourism -- Nigeria -- Plateau State -- Statisticsen_ZA
dc.subjectSustainable tourism -- Nigeria -- Plateau Stateen_ZA
dc.subjectUCTD
dc.titleA chaos theory approach to understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism businesses in Plateau State, Nigeriaen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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Doctoral Degrees (Geography and Environmental Studies)