Impact Of COVID-19 On Irish SMEs Offering Travel Around Europe, Essay.

Factors influencing survival of Irish Small and Medium-Sized Travel Enterprises due to COVID-19

Topic:  Impact of COVID-19 on Irish Small and medium-sized travel enterprises offering travel around Europe

Background of the topic

In the year 2020, the Global travel as well as tourism industry has lost almost 121 million human resources (Syriopoulos 2020). Tourism has become the most important factor that has got highly distorted due to the impact of covid-19. Due to the Global shutdown policy, the Global tourism has faced terrible situation. As its impact the businesses have got closed. Bakar and Rosbi (2020) stated that the tourists' travel risk along with the ongoing uncertainty has influence the psychological behavior of the global travelers. In this particular period ensuring the survival of small and medium-sized organizations in the travel industry can be considered as the most important issue associated with this tourism business. Foo et al. (2021) stated that due to forced shutdown, the small and medium sized organizations those mainly operate in the international market have got totally close. Huge financial crisis along with the sudden loss of human resource has negatively impacted on the survival situation of these small and medium size organizations.

Severe disruption has been seen in the travel industry due to covid-19 pandemic situation (Abdullah et al. 2020). Due to the covid-19 pandemic 60% declination in the international tourism has not only impacted on the GDP in global scenario but also it has created major threat on the small and medium sized organizations (Škare, Soriano and Porada-Rocho? 2021). In consideration to the tourism industry, large numbers of small and medium-sized travel organizations have got closed. The small and medium-sized Irish travel companies those mainly operate in the international market depending on Europe travel destinations, have not only faced the financial challenge but also the supply chain of these operators has got destroyed (Engidaw 2022). Sudden change in government regulation and cancellation of air and road transport in the European nations have created major concern for Irish travel enterprises.

Therefore, the investigation will concentrate on critically examine the impact of covid-19 pandemic on the small and medium-sized Irish travel organizations those mainly operate in the European market.

The aim of the study is to focus on identifying the factors of covid-19 pandemic those have influenced the survival of small and medium sized travel enterprises in Ireland. The study will also investigate the impact of covid-19 on the ideas small and medium-sized (SMEs) travel Enterprises those mainly offer travel experiences around Europe. Lastly the study will focus on providing the survival strategy for small and medium sized travel enterprises to ensure the business operation.

• To identify the factors of covid-19 pandemic those have influenced the survival of small and medium sized (SMEs) travel enterprises in Ireland.
• To investigate the impact of covid-19 on the ideas small and medium-sized (SMEs) travel Enterprises those mainly offer travel experiences around Europe.
• To provide the survival of small and medium sized travel enterprises in Ireland. 

Research question

1. What are the factors of covid-19 pandemic those have influenced the survival of small and medium sized (SMEs) travel enterprises in Ireland.
2. What is the impact of covid-19 on the ideas small and medium-sized (SMEs) travel Enterprises those mainly offer travel experiences around Europe?
3. What will be the survival of small and medium sized travel enterprises in Ireland?

The chosen research topic has greater relevance with the emerging challenges faced by the small and medium sized travel enterprises. By critically considering the small and medium sized travel organizations in Ireland the study can help in reflecting the survival challenges those have been faced by these organizations due to lack of operational scope. The outcome can significantly contribute in enhancing the knowledge and understanding of the researcher. The research paper can be used by future researchers as initial framework to get in depth knowledge on the topic idea.

Impact of COVID-19 on Irish Small and Medium-Sized Travel Enterprises

Impact of covid-19 pandemic on international tourism

Covid-19 pandemic has made severe impact on the global tourism industry and it has made the loss of US$4.5 trillion (Pnas.org 2022). Although the international tourism has experienced 4% increase in the year 2021, however, the international arrivals are still 72% below than pre pandemic year. The international arrival has decreased almost 73%, it has treated major financial threat for the small and medium sized enterprises (Engidaw 2022). Reduced confidence of the travelers along with the strict entry restrictions in most of the destinations, the international tourism operation has got totally fluctuated. In special consideration to the European market, it has been found that the country has reported major transmission rate. As its impact, the small and medium-sized organisations those were totally dependent on the European tourism market, have got closed.

Impact of covid-19 on the financial status of SMEs in tourism segment

Small and medium sized organizations are being considered at the backbone of nation's economy (Bakar and Rosbi 2020). Due to the drastic effect of covid-19 pandemic, unemployment has become a common practice in the small and medium sized enterprises (Abdullah et al. 2020). Due to the substantial short term economic contraction, large numbers of small and medium-sized travel Enterprises have got closed. Regardless of the size, location as well as funding, the small and medium sized organizations have faced major crisis to continue the operation.

Due to limited financial strength and complete shutdown, it was become really challenging for the small and medium sized organizations to take strong initiative towards strengthening the innovation capabilities (Škare, Soriano and Porada-Rocho? 2021). Lack of human resource strength and financial support, in the post covid-19 situation the organizations have faced major crisis to recovered the financial gap.

Change in customer travel behavior during covid-19 pandemic impacted on SMEs survival 

Covid-19 pandemic has influenced the risk perception among the consumers. Due to the fear of infection along with the possible risk, the global travel behavior has got totally changed (Syriopoulos 2020). Financial downturn along with the fear of getting transmitted by the corona virus has negatively influenced the travel interest of the global tourists. Decreasing interest along with the extensibility among the consumers small and medium sized organizations have faced major survival threat (Syriopoulos 2020). Most of the people have started referring the private cars during pandemic situation rather than public transport. As its impact, the operational cost for the companies has got increased. The priority of people has shifted from traveling to other expenses (Bakar and Rosbi 2020). In this particular period predicting as well as understanding the travel behavior of the visitors has become necessary for the organizations to improve transport planning and decision making process.

H1: COVID-19  does have impacted on international operation of Irish Small and medium-sized travel enterprises offering travel around Europe

H0: COVID-19  does not  have impacted on international operation of Irish Small and medium-sized travel enterprises offering travel around Europe

H2: COVID-19  does have impacted on survival concern  of Irish Small and medium-sized travel enterprises offering travel around Europe

Survival strategy for Irish Small and Medium-Sized Travel Enterprises

H0: COVID-19  does not have impacted on survival concern  of Irish Small and medium-sized travel enterprises offering travel around Europe

H3: COVID-19  does have impacted on travel behavior  of customers in Irish Small and medium-sized travel enterprises

H0: COVID-19  does not have impacted on travel behavior  of customers in Irish Small and medium-sized travel enterprises

 Positivism research philosophical approach will be considered while identifying the problem associated with the topic area. Considering the logical framework with science based evidences, the particular philosophical approach can help in identifying the challenges faced by Irish SMEs to operate in the European market.

Descriptive research design will help in establishing the framework of the research, where critically examining the topic variables, in depth analysis on the research area will be done. This particular research design will also encourage the researcher to adopt multiple methodological tools to address research questions.

Among inductive and deductive research approaches, considering deductive research approach, the existing theories and models can be considered in order to gather evidences for testing proposed hypothesis.

Primary and secondary both data collection methods will be appropriate for understanding the impact of covid-19 pandemic on Irish SMEs those are associated with tourism business. Primary data will be gathered by conducting online survey on randomly selected 100 customers. Close ended questionnaire will be formulated to gather quantitative data. Using charts and diagrams, the data will be represented to address research question. Secondly, using peer reviewed journals, articles, books, news and government websites, the secondary qualitative evidences will collected an these will be represented using thematic analysis method.

Ethical protocols will be followed by considering Data protection Act 1998 (Fletcher 2017). Authenticity and appropriateness of the evidence will be maintained by in texting the secondary sources. The researcher will avoid manipulation and plagiarism will be avoided while using secondary evidences. Data confidentiality and appropriateness will be maintained and evidences will be used only for academic purpose. The participants will be allowed to withdraw their participation at any point and after sharing ethical consent form the data collection will be started.

Reference: 

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Bakar, N.A. and Rosbi, S., 2020. Effect of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to tourism industry. International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science, 7(4), pp.189-193.

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Pnas.org 2022. retrieved from: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2006991117 [Accessed on 19th April, 2022]

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