Assessment of the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Tourism and Hospitality Industry in the United Kingdom

This study investigated and provided an understanding of effects of the COVID-19pandemic on the tourism and hospitality industry, in the United Kingdom. For thisresearch, explanatory research design was adopted. The survey followed thestandard measures comprising 250 structured questionnaires, divided into four (4)sections, namely demographic profile; COVID-19 behaviour; Tourists’ attitude andeffects of the COVID-19 pandemic. With tourism and hospitality operators ofnational importance selected through proportionate stratified sampling techniqueas the respondents, only 207 feedbacks were retrieved, while data from HMRevenue and Customs (HMRC) was equally be reviewed. Data were analysedthrough Man-Whitney (U), and Kruskal-Wallis (H) test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov andFactor analysis with Varimax rotation (reliability and convergent validity ofconstruct). Finally, Ordinal regression (PLUM) and Multinomial Logistic Model (MLR) were applied for assessing the influences of effects of the COVID-19pandemic on tourism and hospitality industry, in the United Kingdom. Findingsrevealed a high level (0.84%) of Covid-19’s effect on tourism and hospitalityoperators. More than 60% of respondents correctly answered majority of questions,but few cases namely time, value of money and less corporate tax, were majornegative (-0.45) effects of the pandemic on their operations. Except share for thetransport-markets, regulatory frameworks and corporate tax, level of effects of thepandemic were not varying statistically according to area of studies. It was alsofound that maximum selected indicators of effects of the pandemic were dependenton control variables except source of income, attended patronage and profit returns.Data further showed that transport and logistics were the worse-hit by thepandemic, wherein respondents recorded 100% losses; significant at ?=0.859 and?=0.897, respectively. It can be concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic had asignificant effect on the tourism and hospitality industry in the United Kingdom.Increased level of education and awareness are really necessary to forestall anyfuture outbreaks’ effect of such magnitude on the said industry.