The impact of Covid-19 on tourism experiences supply in rural tourism: An exploratory study

Abstract

Experience is essential in tourism. The tourist is an informed person, with new needs and seeks more than rest. The tourist desires a unique experience and a differentiated service, adapted to his or her needs. These new requirements can be a real challenge for companies when it comes to creating and co-creating experiences. In the current scenario, with the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, this process requires greater flexibility to continue to provide memorable experiences to customers in a safe environment. The aim of this article is to understand the impacts of the pandemic on the supply of tourism experiences, based on rural tourism companies in the Baixo Alentejo, Portugal. Grounded in the results of a final report, two tourism companies in rural areas well-known for their work in creating experiences for their clients and that were also affected by the Covid-19 pandemic were considered. By conducting semi-structured interviews with the entrepreneurs who manage the tourism enterprises, it was found that the most evident impacts were based on the need to adapt and reorganize the organizational structure and the level of demand and activities carried out for large groups.