The Impact of COVID-19 on the Hotel Industry and How Owners-Managers are Preparing for a Post COVID-19 Economy in Morocco

This thesis aims to identify the impact of the COVID-19 on the hospitality industry in Morocco, and how the managers and decision makers are willing to cope with it. The primary objectif of this study is to undertand the impacts of this crisis and thereofore provide recommendations related to sustainable strategic solutions to be applied in Morocco since the primarysource of income in Morocco is the hospitality industry. This study has been conducted in Morocco having owner-managers and decision makers of hotels in Morocco as respondents. A purposeful sampling method was utilized and the distribution network was done via emails, social networking sites and text messages. The results of the analysis revealed that the major challenges confronting the hospitality industry due to COVID-19 are; health and safety concerns, challenges in getting customers, and travel restrictions. According to the results, top management of hotels are preparing for a post pandemic period of operations by providing innovative new products to clients, stressing digitalisations, and by offering reduced rates for attracting more customers. Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic, Post-covid-19, Crisis management, Morocco, Hospitality industry.