Crisis-driven innovation in hospitality: How do international hotel chains innovate to recover from a global crisis?

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges to the hospitality industry, yet there remains a limited understanding of the response strategies by international hotel chains (IHCs) during this crisis. This study fills a knowledge gap by investigating crisis-driven innovation activities of the top IHCs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it explores the relationship between crisis-driven innovation and the subsequent recovery. A robust qualitative methodology is employed, involving content analysis of the annual reports and websites of 15 IHCs. Through this analysis, 106 codes are identified and categorized into three themes: innovation enablers, innovative activities, and innovation outcomes. The findings highlight the IHC's focus on stakeholder-oriented innovation during crises. The study's main contribution lies in integrating the findings into a guiding framework and providing theoretical insights into the connections between a global crisis, innovation, and recovery.