Hygiene and Health in Tourism, in a Post-Pandemic Context: From Expected Requirement to Mandatory Criterion

Abstract

Tourism, as a system, develops strategies for risk prevention and mitigation. The shock generated by the COVID-19 pandemic is different when compared with previous events because it is more intense and prone to structural changes. Tourists' perceptions condition their behaviour and decisions, with adverse results on travel and tourism consumption; and hygiene and health risks generate a cause-effect relationship on destination specificities.

From globalisation to risk perception and crisis management, in a framework where technology, communication and digital content represent undeniable importance, we are facing circumstances especially conducive to the redesign of the collective future, where the sustainability of tourism is a collective goal, arising from the right balance between the competitiveness of destinations and climate action.

Given the prospects for the next decade, health and hygiene are structural factors to be considered in decision-making processes. Thus, so the proposed approach contributes to the awareness, by the various stakeholders, of its importance and the need to implement methods and processes compatible with more inclusive and responsible tourism.

Citation

Serra, P.V. and Seabra, C. (2023), "Hygiene and Health in Tourism, in a Post-Pandemic Context: From Expected Requirement to Mandatory Criterion", Seabra, C. and Korstanje, M.E. (Ed.) Safety and Tourism (Tourism Security-Safety and Post Conflict Destinations), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 195-215. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-811-420231011