GOVERNMENT POLICY FOR NEW NORMAL TOURISM IN THE POST COVID-19 CRISIS

Abstract

The objectives of this study were: 1) to examine the current government policy on tourism; 2) to investigate the factors affecting the implementation of government policy for new normal tourism in the post Covid-19 crisis; and 3) to propose the government policy for the new normal tourism in the post Covid-19 crisis. This qualitative study deployed documentary analysis and in-depth interview with 55 specialist informants including government officials and private sector personnel, specialists and scholars in tourism, stakeholders, domestic and foreign tourists.

The results showed that: 1) The current government policy on tourism affecting the implementation of new normal tourism in the post Covid-19 crisis, in overall, was satisfied by all parties. 2) The factors affecting the success of government policy implementation on new normal tourism were reported. The internal factors were policy and measures accommodating public health and economy of tourism. The factors promoting success were that tourism spots especially those closed and restored natural ecological systems during Covid-19 pandemic would attract more quality tourists. The external factors affecting the tourism were global economic disruptions, mutation of diseases, if severe, would stop tourists’ decision on travelling. 3) The government policy for new normal tourism in the post Covid-19 crisis should aim for reinventing and upgrading tourism, harnessing the outstanding spots, promoting the best of everything in order to attract the tourists, using technological applications for information alerts, vaccination management, wellness center policy for world-class health tourism focusing on high spending tourists, and medical center for short- and long-term medical tourists.