The of covid-19 in small inns on the coast of Paraná:

post-pandemic reflections, challenges and opportunities

Abstract

The Paraná Coast is a region which depends on tourist activity, having a strong appeal for sun and beach, historical-cultural and gastronomic tourism. It presents a large number of inns, being a segment of great relevance in the hosting sector. The aim of this article is to present the results of a research that analyzed the impacts of the economic crisis generated by the new coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic on managers and inns in Paraná Coast. In this context a descriptive exploratory research was carried out with 30 managers between May and June 2020. The study revealed that the establishments existed on average for 23.6 years, therefore they are consolidated businesses in the market. The most felt impacts by the managers were the economic ones, since 83% of the inns were closed on average 118 days and the main psychological problems presented by the managers were insomnia, fear of bankruptcy and nervousness. Currently, the occupancy rate average is 12.4%, which is below the minimum ideal occupation of 42.8% reported by the interviewees. The major problems described by them were the sharp drop in the occupancy rate, the difficulty in retaining employees and the difficulty in accessing emergency credit. The adoption of prospective strategies towards tourists with greater purchasing power, and the participation of managers in the Regional Innovation System (SRI) could represent important directions in order to face the crisis of the new coronavirus pandemic.