The Impact of COVID-19 on Attitudes towards Growth Capacity of Tourism Firms: Evidence from Greece

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Comments to the Author:

 

Dear authors, first I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to review your article. After a thorough analysis of tour article, I would like to provide some constructive suggestions to enhance the clarity and impact of your work:

 

 

1. Introduction

 

 “The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in late 2019 sparked a global health crisis of unprecedented proportions, leading to profound socio-economic disruptions across the world.”

 

“The necessary restrictions on travel, lockdowns, and social distancing protocols led to an almost immediate halt in international and domestic tourism activities. Consequently, tourism firms experienced an unprecedented shock that disrupted their operations, financial stability, and growth trajectories.”

 

Reviewer: The authors need to review the article to avoid making unsupported statements, especially when discussing scientific contribution and existing literature. It would be beneficial to provide specific citations from relevant studies to make the introduction more robust and well-founded. Additionally, the introduction requires justification for choosing this study and its relevance to existing literature. The authors should refer to previous studies to explain the importance and necessity of conducting this study. For instance, the study by Sousa et al., 2022 - (https://doi.org/10.34624/rtd.v39i0.26241) emphasizes the need for and importance of further research in tourism. Although mentioned, the study's objectives could be presented more clearly and need a more explicit connection with the reviewed literature. This would help establish the study's relevance and demonstrate how it fills the identified gaps in the literature. Furthermore, while the introduction highlights the methodology, the scientific contribution of the study could be outlined more explicitly. It is not entirely clear how the results of this study will advance existing knowledge in the field of crisis management in the tourism sector.

 

 

2. Literature review

 

2.1. Growth capacity of firms and organizations

 

 “Likewise, the growth capacity of tourism firms, especially in the context of the hospitality and travel industry, involves the ability of these firms to expand their operations, attract more customers, and increase revenue while maintaining service quality and profitability.”

 

“In essence, the growth capacity of tourism firms is intricately tied to their ability to adapt to changing market dynamics, deliver exceptional experiences, and strategically position themselves within the broader tourism landscape. The firms that effectively leverage these factors are more likely to achieve sustainable growth while contributing positively to the tourism industry and the economies they operate in.”

 

Reviewer: These statements should be reinforced with previous studies. Additionally, before the authors begin section "2.2. Impact of COVID-19 on the growth capacity of tourism firms – Firm factors," it would be important to mention what tourism companies are considering staying competitive and attract visitors post-COVID-19. For example, the study by Jorge et al., 2023 - (https://doi.org/10.34624/rtd.v43i0.32992) suggests that some tourism companies are considering conducting virtual experiences to make the tourism sector attractive again after the pandemic.

 

 

2.3. Personal Factors

 

“It should be noted that employees in the tourism industry, especially those in customer-facing roles such as hospitality, travel, and entertainment, were exposed to a higher risk of contracting the virus due to direct contact with travelers. This fear for their health and safety led to increased stress and anxiety, potentially affecting their overall well-being and performance. To address these challenges and support employee performance, businesses in the tourism industry needed to prioritize employee well-being, provide clear communication about safety measures, and offer training to ensure that the staff was equipped to handle the new protocols.”

 

Reviewer: The formulation of research hypotheses cannot rely on statements without confirmation from the existing literature.

 

3. Research method

 

Reviewer: The methodology section is well presented; however, it is important for the authors to emphasize the significance of this methodology for the study and how this approach facilitated the achievement of their objectives. Additionally, they should highlight previous studies that recommend this approach in this subject area.

 

 

5. Discussion

 

Reviewer: Although some effort is visible from the authors in discussing the results with the existing literature, they need to clarify which results have been confirmed by the literature and which ones have not. This clarification is essential for a better understanding of the scientific contribution of the study. To bring something new to this topic, it is crucial to specify which results go beyond what is confirmed by the literature. Additionally, presenting the theoretical and practical implications of the study is recommended.

 

 

6. Conclusions

 

Reviewer: At this point, the authors need to further specify which literature gaps are addressed by this study. Additionally, they should clearly state whether the objectives have been achieved. On the other hand, the authors need to present a section dedicated to limitations and future lines of research.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

English language just needs a minor revision.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer

Thank you for your valuable comments

All the best

Authors

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Being attached

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Dear Reviewer

Thank you for your valuable comments

All the best

Authors

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Editor and Authors,

Thank you for the opportunity to review the manuscript entitled “The impact of COVID 19 on the growth capacity of tourism firms: evidence from Greece”

The Covid-19 pandemic had a severe impact on the global tourism industry, particularly in countries where tourism plays a significant role in the economy, such as Greece. There are numerous articles discussing the impact of COVID-19 on tourism. This article provides a supplementary analysis on the topic.

First of all, I want to congratulate you on your research efforts. The manuscript is clear, relevant for the field and presented in a well-structured manner with good research methodology. All figures and tables are appropriate. The analysis is described clearly but it is not stated how the respondents were selected, randomly, but from what database, with or without returning sample. What about missing answers, all 548 surveys were complete?

The discussion section should be more in line with the research and literature references.  There is a lack of limitations and suggestions for future research in the conclusion section. Consider dividing the conclusion chapter into theoretical and practical implications (which are in the discussion section) and suggestions for future research. It would be particularly interesting for future research to analyse the relationship between owners/CEOs and employees.

 

Overall, I enjoyed reading this paper. The topic of this paper is interesting and worthy of publication.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Dear Reviewer

Thank you for your valuable comments

All the best

Authors

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article needs a more deep review of the level of English.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English language needs a major revision.