EFFECT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON TOURISM BUSINESS SECTOR IN CENTRAL ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic, which is seen as a source of crisis worldwide, has also had negative effects in many ways on the tourism industry. In this research, it is important to identify the major factors affect the tourism sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic in central Ethiopia. The research aims to determine the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the tourism industry, evaluate the views of tourism managers, and offer solutions to problems in hospitability and tourism. The research data were collected through questionnaires and interviews with hospitality managers and supervisors in Central Ethiopia. The data was then gathered by distributing the questionnaires to a total of 48 respondents which are selected based on purposive sampling technique. The data were analyzed with the descriptive analysis technique by using Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS) version 22. The analysis was carried out and organized data through tables, charts, graph and interpretation of findings. The significant findings highlighted the negative impact of the Virus outbreak on the tourism industry and the decline of employment and hospitality. The findings will help to face challenges in the tourism industry, and strategies to overcome viral infections in the future are recommended.