CRITICAL REFLECTION AND RESEARCH AGENDA ON POST-COVID-19 TOURISM IN COX'S BAZAR AND PR

Course Code and Name: MSJ11342 Public Relations Research

Abstract

Tourism is traveling with a purpose, be it recreation, work, or benefitting both the tourist and the country. It is a major industry adding value to the GDP of a nation. Bangladesh is a country with lush natural beauty, rural ethnic culture, and old weaving traditional art and craft. Public Relations is the major weapon influencing the image of Bangladesh amongst foreigners. Despite its cultural value, Bangladesh is yet to see a massive income flow to its tourism industry due to disappointing traffic, safety, climate, and pollution scenarios. In 2019, tourism and hospitality received a major blow due to COVID-19 (Kochhar & Barroso, 2020). This study is based on the research topic focusing on the importance of Public Relations in tourism, especially in Cox’s Bazar post-COVID-19 lockdown. The main objective of the research shall be to establish the finding as to what role Public Relations (PR) has played in curbing the pandemic fear amongst tourists and reviving tourism in Cox’s Bazar. The research approach implemented will be Qualitative and Quantitative data as we shall be collecting data in numbers (monetary figures in terms of revenue) as well as literature. The research method used will be Primary for first-hand information from tourists, tourism agencies, and hotels in Cox’s Bazar sourced from interviews and surveys; as well as Secondary data sourced from online journals. This paper shall focus on the Situational Crisis, and Persuasion Theory as COVID-19 was an unexpected crisis hitting the tourism industry. People now need to be persuaded about the safety of tourism in Cox’s Bazar post-COVID-19 lockdown. The PR models implemented here are the Public Information Model to persuade and inform a large group of audience, and the Two-Way Asymmetrical model as the persuasion communication will require intense audience research and convincing. This research will investigate the importance of PR in the survival of the tourism industry, especially during COVID-19. The paper shall also examine the potential role of public relations (PR) as a branding and promotional tool. While some tourism organizations have integrated PR deep into their overall tourism strategies, there are still plenty of organizations that do not put much attention to PR research and development to attract tourists. This research paper shall also explore how the tourism industry as a whole has prioritized other segments of the business instead of PR which was seen in a negative light as a consequence. The study explores those reasons due to which tourism in Bangladesh has not received much attention from PR researchers and how this has led to missing out on revenues because of the missed opportunities at both the national and international levels.

Keywords: Bangladesh, Crisis Management, Public Relations, Tourism, Covid-19

Chapter 1: Introduction

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the world is still suffering from what was first recognized in Wuhan, Hubei, China (WHO, 2020), which is a deadly and contagious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Millions of people died and still a large number of people are infected by this virus in the whole world. The number of infections is increasing gradually. The number of countries around the globe has been monitored and resulted in confirmed cases of COVID-19. “In response to this ongoing public health emergency, we developed an online interactive dashboard, hosted by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA, to visualise and track reported cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in real-time,” (Coronavirus) (Dong, E.; Du, H. & Gardner, L., 2020, p533-534). Like all other countries, Bangladesh is also facing many challenges to tackle the Coronavirus pandemic. Gradually, the number of infected and death reports has been increasing and the whole economy is facing a devastating change in force.

The Government took many initiatives in order to overcome this pandemic such as the lockdown (both in general and later following that only zone-wise lockdown according to the number of deaths), general holiday, selection of restricted area, zone-wise lockdown were also conducted later on. Due to lockdown, many tourists could not travel even in domestic areas for a longer period of time. To this date, some tourism spots remain unsafe to roam. The number of hotels, restaurants, motels and transportation facilities are all active once more. Due to the growth of affected COVID-19 patients’ tourists are reluctant to travel. The tourism and Hospitality industry remains one of the major sectors of the country, which brought about many challenges in all aspects of traveling. This study will discuss the impacts of post-COVID-19 on the tourism and hospitality industry in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The study will also discuss a few recovery initiatives from the Public Relations perspective which might help the tourism industry in Cox’s Bazar.

Cox’s Bazar is a well-known small town situated in the Southern part of Bangladesh. It is famous for having the longest uninterrupted sea beach in the world (Ethirajan, BBC Asia, 26th December 2012). Compared to Chittagong, the stretch of Cox’s Bazar is 125 km with just a tiny slope away. In today’s world, Cox’s Bazar remains one of the most visited tourist destinations in Bangladesh. It holds a special potential to be a major tourist attraction around the globe. In 2013, the Bangladesh Government formed the Tourist Police unit to better protect local and foreign tourists, as well as to look after the nature and wildlife in the tourist spots of Cox's Bazar (Aziz, 2016).

Apart from being the most popular tourist destination, they are well-known for sunbathing, swimming in shark-free water, watching sunrises and sunsets in the same location attracts a large number of tourists from Europe and the USA. There are a number of private hotels and five-star hotels which offer exclusive luxury accommodation facilities in the beach area which provide a great enjoyable seaside view.

Cox’s Bazar's many include a significant contribution for developing adventure tourism, where events like the world’s longest beach marathon, scuba diving, sand cycling, buggy riding, surfing and parasailing, and also annual beach cricket are many more of the location’s attractions. The exquisite waterfalls and hills and their views make the tourists happy. The Government initiated a program in 2007, in order to apply conservation efforts towards wildlife and sustainability in the form of a Safari Park. Currently, Dulahazra safari park has four thousand animals including the Bengal tiger and elephants, various reptiles, saltwater crocodiles where tourists can have thrilling experiences (www.beautifulcoxsbazar.weebly.com, n.d.).

Local Culinary cuisine experience in Cox’s Bazar includes various seafood which is always a big seller, for instance, lobsters, squids, crabs, and even jellyfish for tourists to try. There is also some opportunity for tourists to go fishing in the Bay of Bengal (Kawashima, 2015).

Domestic tourism helps to provide the livelihoods of the tourism industry and its stakeholders especially the ones who are directly affected by the pandemic. This can also be promoted through the various implementations of initiatives. “This year our major objective is to make people aware about following the health guideline as per our Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), made for all reopened tourist spots and accommodation,” said state minister for civil aviation and tourism M Mahbub Ali at a virtual press briefing on the eve of the day (www.dhakatribune.com, 2020).

COVID-19 out-break and the challenges that come with it Communicationpersists, both hotels and motels as well as the tourism industry have faced complications on a large-scale which has caused many overseas tourists to cancel their hotel bookings, resulting in loss of financial aspects of the hotels and tourism industries in Cox’s Bazar. According to the New Nation, 80% of the hotels were previously booked by tourists from both the country and abroad.

The direct and indirect effect on the tourism industry has halted many parts, although in 2018 the contribution was 4.4% in economic aspects and there were expectations of USD 1208 million which is moderate among other South Asian countries but everything has interrupted due to the pandemic (www.lightcastlebd.com, 2020). The impact of this pandemic has caused a delay as well as a loss and it will take years for the sectors to return to their profit. It not only affects every sector but the stakeholders in all parts suffer a consequence, not just the tourism business but also what comes with it. Along with these devastating events, the business has suffered a loss of traffic.

Moreover, the Tour Operator Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) reported that the tourism sector of Bangladesh will suffer a loss of around TK5,700 crore. The report showed around 40 lakh people, employed in this sector including tour operators, travel agents, hotels, motels, resorts, airlines, transportation, cruising, etc., (tbsnews.net, 2020). The TOAB president presented a proposal to get bank loans with a minimum interest rate and other government support for the survival of the tourism industry (Hafsa, 2020).

The economy of Cox’s Bazar is vastly dependent on tourism. According to TOAB, only Cox’s Bazar had to face a consequence and amount of money around BDT 20 billion revenue last year till Eid Ul Fitr. It was due to aviation, tourism, hospitality, transportation, and accommodation industries all associated with one another. Abu Hanif Bari, Company Secretary and Head of Admin at Sena Hotel Development said, “The crushing impact of Coronavirus on the travel industry has had a devastating effect on hotels in Bangladesh” (Sultana, 2021).

Public Relations comes in handy in the form of working as a catalyst, meaning-making the thing more active than before to provide favorable outcomes in this sector. PR in Tourism helps to lead and guide the tourists to know the proper information and actions the organizations take to move forwards in becoming what the initial image and results of success were along with safety measures. Public Relations has always and will help build the loss to a minimum as well as increase the development and improvement to revive tourism activities and attractions in Cox’s Bazar. “Crises occur at all levels of tourism operations with varying degrees of severity, from much-publicized environmental economic and political disasters through to internally generated crises such as accidents and sudden illness,” (Beeton, 2001).

Tourism and hospitality being only one of the factors for economic development cannot be enough to overcome a large loss. It is necessary for the public and private sectors to come together in order to rectify the damage. The Government of Bangladesh announced the annual budget for aviation and tourism companies which helped bring back the needed recovery, but the focus on domestic tourism must also be prioritized as well as put new packages to attract skeptical audiences. It is also important for policy providers to ensure and monitor proper care to the needs of the audience and the utilization of the resources along with maintaining precaution for the recovery plans which will result in a good outcome for the tourism industry of Cox’s Bazar.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Literature Review is a thorough analysis of existing studies and research conducted on a specific topic or area of interest/study. The purpose of this is to gain an understanding of the relevant information, conclusions, and debates as well as identify areas that need further research and study, and be presented in the form of a written report. In each article that is being reviewed, the objective shall be to find the information gaps. This research paper shall focus on filling that gap.

For this research, studies revolving around Public Relations and Tourism, Importance of Tourism in Bangladesh, Impact of COVID-19 on the Tourism Industry in Bangladesh as well as Revival of the Tourism Industry will be explored and discussed to get a better understanding of the current scenario at hand which will provide better aid in designing strategically effective plans to revive the tourism industry of Bangladesh post-COVID-19 by using PR methods.

Public Relations and Tourism

Spanish Researcher Huertas (2008), in his research paper titled “Public relations and tourism: Fighting for the role of public relations in tourism,” mentioned, “public relations and communication are indispensable requirements for the development of the tourism industry.”Communication activities are deeply rooted in the tourism industry as they help to promote their tourism offers. As the tourism industry intends to serve as a guiding hand for their customers, public relations and communications help develop two-way communication between the customer and the tourism companies. So, the tourism industry’s stability incorporating innovative and effective public relations communication tactics is mandatory (Huertas, 2008).

For the tourism industry promotion, public relations constantly communicate with the mass media through press releases via various newspapers and radio, representing their latest tourist event and offer. Moreover, press trips of journalists in tourism offices, which familiarize the journalists with the tourism sector. Promoting events like Trade Fair is another effective communication method that helps the tourism industry. Promoting through graphical insights in brochures, they demonstrate a hotel guide, restaurant guide, destination guide, maps, and sightseeing to establish a connection with their targeted traveling customers. Besides, collaborating as sponsor partners with events related to sports, heritage, or culture, Tourism Company can be persuasively publicized. In this era of the internet, utilizing social media platforms and websites is the best method of managing two-way communication. Through social media pages, tourist companies can directly communicate with customers for details of trips and travel packages. Hence, an effective public relations department comes to good use through utilizing internet tools. (Huertas, 2008)

In conclusion, effective communication methods of the press release, mass media communication, trade events and mega-events, and social media tools are constructive techniques through which public relations and communication can bloom the tourism industry.

Importance of Tourism in Bangladesh

If we overview the tourism industry of Bangladesh, World Travel and Tourism Council’s Bangladesh Country Report 2010 (www.wttc.org) shed light on the contribution of Travel & Tourism (TT) to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to, rise from 3.9% (BDT265.9bn or US$3,786.4mn) in 2010 to 4.1% (BDT788.4bn or US$8,781.7mn) by 2020. The Real GDP growth for the Travel & Tourism Economic (TTE) was expected to be 1.7% in 2010 and an average of 6.4% per annum over the coming ten years (Ahammed, 2010).

“The impact of tourism in a deficit economy: A Conceptual Model in Bangladesh Perspective,” research conducted by Chowdhury, Faisal and Shahriar (2012) spoke about the importance of the tourism industry in an economy like Bangladesh. For over decades, tourism has contributed to the economy at the national and global levels. The tourism sector has been the reason for employment to millions. It has always been the primary source of earning foreign exchange for many emerging countries, and in developing countries like Bangladesh, 83% of the export comes from the tourism industry. According to the World Tourism Travel Council estimates, 10.9% of GDP has been contributed by the Tourism Industry in the year 2014. And it is essential to the tourist sector as it would contribute to economic growth (Chowdhury, Faisal and Shahriar, 2012).

In Chowdhury et al. study, they also mentioned that the human power of the tourism industry in Bangladesh depends on foreign workforce and trainers i.e., a large amount of monetary power also goes out of the country in this process. Also, the technology involved in this process could also be the reason that the expense is higher than income since they too are imported (Chowdhury, et al., 2012). Overall, a deficit country like Bangladesh, whose large part of the economy depends on tourism, could also explain why Bangladesh loses more money to foreign exchange.

Sultana (2016) wrote a paper titled “Economic Contribution of Tourism Industry in Bangladesh” which states that in 2014, the tourism industry generated 1 25,000 international tourists, and the global travel industry produced US$ 1.5 trillion in trade profit and worldwide tourist visits developed by 4.3%. The author (Sultana, 2016) mentioned that the Travel and Tourism industry produced 903,500 jobs in 2014, directly (1.6 % of total employment). This incorporates hotels, travel agents, cafés, recreation businesses, carriers, and other traveler transportation. The Travel and Tourism Industry’s all-out commitment to business was 1,984,000 jobs in 2014 (3.6 % of all employment). By 2025, the Travel industry is predicted to offer 2,4,92,000 employment opportunities, an increase of 2.1% per annum over time (Sultana, 2016).

Employment was also expected to rise from 3.1% of total work, 2,373,000 jobs or 1 in every 32.3 jobs in 2010, to 3.2% of all work, 3,114,000 jobs, or 1 in every 31.1 jobs by 2020 due to tourism (Ahammed, 2010). This took a back seat due to the unexpected COVID-19, which led to thousands of job losses and bankruptcy, creating a significant setback to the industry.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Tourism Industry in Bangladesh

A thorough review of two journal articles was done in order to analyze the study done on the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry in Bangladesh. The purpose of this was to create an understanding of the realistic scenario as analyzed by researchers earlier in the field as well as look for the knowledge gaps that need to be filled through the potential research. For this purpose, we reviewed two studies conducted by Hafsa Shelamy (2020), and Santus Kumar Deb and Shohel Md. Nafi (2020).

Hafsa (2020) conducted research on the COVID-19 impacts on the tourism industry in Bangladesh titled “Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Tourism & Hospitality Industry in Bangladesh''.

The study (Hafsa, 2020) provides an overview of how the COVID-19 pandemic hit the tourism and hospitality industry of Bangladesh and how this in turn affected the economy of the country. Hafsa also goes on to show the steps the government had been taking to relieve the losses. Hafsa conducted qualitative research and collected data from secondary sources, especially journals available online. This may be a hindrance to unbiased research as secondary written data is subject to the perspective of the researcher.

Hafsa analyzed that the tourism industry was gradually becoming a major contributor to the Bangladesh economy ever since 2018, November to June being the peak time. The major tourist locations being St. Martin Island and Cox’s Bazar. However, Hafsa says, “The impact of COVID-19 has proved so massive that it might take years for the sector to return to its normal shape,” (2020). Popular spots had become deserted with most tourist agencies and hotels going bankrupt.

Hafsa stated that the Bangladesh tourism industry would face a net loss of Tk 40 billion in the year 2020 as per the World Tourism Organisation. The author also reveals a forecast made by the Tour Operator Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) which stated that the tourism sector of Bangladesh would likely suffer a loss of around TK5,700 crore due to the outbreak of COVID-19, with at least 40 lakh people being unemployed as a majority of the financial cycle of Cox’s Bazar is dependent on tourism (Hafsa, 2020).

As for the international travelers, cancellation of flights or rescheduling due to COVID-19 had become a huge stigma. Thousands of small hotels, resorts, motels, travel agencies and other travel-related organizations have to close their service due to this pandemic. The aviation industry is also going to face a great loss which is estimated as a loss of Tk 6 billion and around 2000 people involved with the aviation industry will become jobless (Hafsa, 2020).

Another research was conducted on the “Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Tourism: Perceptions from Bangladesh”, by Deb and Nafi (2020). Secondary Data used for their research, primarily extracted from sources like the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) was used. Their study discussed the impacts of COVID-19 on tourism in Bangladesh and the economy.

Deb and Nafi stated that 2020 was to witness an estimated 0.3 million job loss in the tourism sector. It also highlighted major job risks in the aviation sector (2020). However, as this included solely secondary researched data, the estimated percentage of job loss and economic disadvantage cannot be held as accurate.

The study conducted by Shelamony Hafsa thoroughly highlights a realistic scenario of the economic blow to the tourism industry in Bangladesh and around the globe due to COVID-19. Shelamony recommends bank loans and promotion of village tourism, agro-tourism and community-based tourism. However, the loophole remains that Cox’s Bazar lacked tourism due to safety laws that were put into action as well as a psychological fear. The promotional recommendation felt short-handed in terms of constructive promotional recommendation.

The research undertaken shall focus on understanding how to overcome the psychological barriers by understanding the audience's psychographic status and thus recommend PR methods and messages that will accurately cater to the audience.

Revival of Tourism Industry

Understanding the available and ongoing post-COVID-19 revival scenario for the tourism industry is important to understand what has been done and what can be done. For this purpose, an existing in-depth study on the revival of the tourism industry was reviewed to analyse the criteria that needed to be fulfilled. Through this, we shall gain an understanding of the revival strategies that are applicable in the context of Bangladesh and hence, devise PR strategies accordingly.

Sharma, Thomas, and J Paul (2021) conducted research on the post covid revival of tourism, titled “Reviving tourism industry post-COVID-19: A resilience-based framework”. Their study is a structural framework to build resilience in the tourism sector post-COVID-19.

Sharma, Thomas, and Paul (2021) reviewed forty-five research papers related to tourism to see the COVID-19 impact and provide a strong framework for crisis management in the tourism industry. Sharma, Thomas and Paul state:

Historically, the tourism industry has quickly bounced back after disasters, pandemics, and epidemics like Ebola, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Local, regional, or national governments are aiding in the industry's recovery by luring investors through tax breaks, lenient land-use rules, etc (Sharma, Thomas & Paul, 2021).

Sharma, Thomas, and Paul (2021) reveal various recovery frameworks such as the Governments are providing stimulus packages and loans for the revival of various industries including the tourism industry. It also highlights the importance of promoting local/ domestic tourism to revive the industry. The Government of Bangladesh has joined in the initiative to support the tourism industry in Bangladesh, especially by putting a primary focus on rural tourism. Various operations have been lined up to promote tourism while following safety protocols laid out by WHO. However, certain frameworks such as technological innovation and Climate Action is something our country, Bangladesh, cannot put into action as of yet. These frameworks fall blind-sided for poorer countries like Bhutan, Bangladesh, etc.

It is evidently important to focus on the economical, sociological, environmental, and political situation of Bangladesh while devising a revival plan for the tourism industry of the country. This is another gap that shall be looked into.

Chapter 3: Theoretical Framework

Theoretical Framework reinforces the core of research and clarifies the significance, nature, and challenges related to the research. It can likewise assess the weaknesses by cross-evaluating the current information with new information and determine which key variables impact a marvel of interest and feature the need to analyze how those key factors may contrast and under what conditions.

Key variables of the study are surveys and interviews through which our research will examine the phenomenon of public relation’s impact in reviving tourism amid pandemic in Cox’s Bazar. For this purpose, we shall be undertaking certain Public Relation Models and Theories. The PR Models to be adopted are Two-Way Asymmetrical Model and Public Information Model.

Two-Way Asymmetrical Model

The two-way asymmetrical model presents a more logically convincing or “scientifically persuasive” method of speaking with the target audience. In this model, research is conducted by the organisation or PR specialists to understand the current situation and mindset of its target audience. Public Relations Strategies are then created as per the information and feedback received (Roberts & Shiflet, n.d.). The advantage of this model is the PR strategies are tailored keeping in mind the attitudes, behavior, thoughts, and other demographic and psychographic factors of the organisation's target audience. The disadvantage of this model is the bias and inaccuracy that may occur during the research phase.

Public Information Model

The public information model is considered as a one-way communication method to inform people without emphasizing any extra promotion. The government organizations use this model as a way to simply communicate some type of message to the public. The objection of using this model is to disseminate clear and fact-based information to the target audience. This model does not intend to persuade or directly change the attitude of the public but just to circulate information. The main focus of this model is to inform the target audience with high accuracy information and therefore, it is thus perceived that if the target public is aware and has sufficient authentic information about the situation, service or organization then the target public will believe and behave to what the current situation desires(www.UKEssays.com “The Public Information Model," 2017).

Two Public Relations theories are adopted for this research Crisis Communication Theory and Persuasion Theory

a. Situational Crisis Communication Theory The Situational Crisis Communication theory (SCCT) deals with crisis communication and was theorized by W. Timothy Combs in 2007. This includes forecasting, identifying, researching, and taking necessary steps for a probable crisis or unexpected crisis that may endanger an organisation, its stakeholders, or its survival as a whole. The advantage of this theory is that it helps organizations prevent crisis consequences as well as gets them ready for unforeseen reputation damage or other dangers. However, the disadvantage is that sometimes the researchers may overestimate or underestimate a crisis and thus, the resilience methods adapted may not be useful. The Situational Crisis Communication Theory is relevant in our study as the COVID-19 pandemic is an obvious crisis that has thrown over every industry and sustainable development goal all around the world. In order to overcome this crisis organizations need to evaluate, study and execute proper crisis management responses to survive the pandemic and post-covid recovery era.

b. Persuasion Theory Persuasion Theory is a theory meticulously applied for the sole purpose of convincing the people. This process uses influencing and convincing techniques to persuade the audience. It is mainly a communication process in which persuasion is an effort to disseminate information using various appropriate channels, creating connotative and /or denotative meaning to get people to change their previously existing belief or image of a certain organization, product, service or situation or form new ones, and that in result changes their behavior ("Persuasion and public opinion – communications," 2017).

The advantage of Persuasion theory is that it helps neutralize unpopular opinions, promote positive opinions and attract sleeping audiences. The disadvantage of Persuasion Theory is that if not used properly or if overused, it may attract negative light or may be seen as propaganda. This is relevant to this research study as it investigates attracting more tourists to Cox’s Bazar.

Methodology

There are various methods of collecting information, but the most effective and widely used approaches for collecting data and information are the qualitative and quantitative approaches of research. For this research, in particular, a combination of both qualitative and quantitative approaches shall be used. The qualitative approach of research is adapted in order to understand the beliefs, values, experiences, and opinions of the people. It provides insight and more detailed knowledge and information about a particular situation. It assists to view the data more vastly and provides significant insights (Pathak, Jena, & Kalra, 2013). A negative aspect of this method might include misinformation by the sources which needs to be cross-examined. In order to gain more detailed information and knowledge on the subject matter, we have chosen qualitative research; in order to gain insights about the experiences of the travelers of Cox's Bazar during the pandemic, as well as the approaches of the business organizations in order to contribute to the overall profitability of the business. A quantitative approach is regarded as a traditional and scientific approach to research. Throughout the years, researchers have relied heavily on the quantitative format for a direct and precise outcome. Quantitative research makes the research reports easier to understand. It provides significant statistical data and results which are quantifiable and measurable (Holton & Burnett, 2005). A quantitative approach might not provide enough details and so a combination of approaches is required. In order to acquire more genuine information such as the revenues of the hotels and tourism companies, we have chosen a quantitative research approach. For more effective outcomes, we have chosen both the research approaches.

In order to gain data for this particular study, the approach undertaken was both qualitative and quantitative. Gathering and collection of quantitative data such as the monetary figures and financial statements of the organization’s pre and post COVID-19 pandemic from the hotels have been made. The study shall also be conducting an online survey and gathering data from the people who chose to tour Cox's Bazar despite the COVID-19 outbreak. Collection of information through an online survey in a google doc format has been done, where the participants were mostly asked dichotomous questions. They were given choices in order to answer the sections of the questionnaires, mostly focusing on their opinions based on their experiences of their visit to Cox's Bazar during the pandemic. Qualitative data is mainly set to be conducted through phone call interviews. Interviews of the managers and operators of hotels and tourism companies as well as Public Relation agencies have been carried out in order to access information and data about their PR strategies adopted during the pandemic. The interview focused on the literature of their revenues based on pre and post-COVID situations and how the operation of their business was affected (See Appendix B). Information was gathered on the necessary safety measurements taken by the organizations as per the standards. Emphasis was put specifically on the public relations activities, media management, promotional prospects, and normal functioning of the business despite the virus outbreak throughout the interview. A greater focus was made on the actions implemented for overcoming the losses and what difference it made and the effectiveness of the measures taken. Interviews of the manager of Hotel Zaman International on phone have been conducted in particular. Interviews from representatives of Public Relations agencies were also undertaken to gather a better understanding of the effective use of PR and media tools to promote tourism. The question for this interview was particularly centered around the PR strategies and tools most useful to use in the current context (See Appendix C).

The number of participants interviewed increased as the research progressed. The research method used was Primary for the first-hand information sourced from the surveys and interviews from the tourists, tourism agencies, and hotels in Cox's Bazar; also Secondary data sourced from online journals and articles. An estimated time of four weeks was needed to complete the entire research process (See Appendix A).

Contextual analysis is the study of attitudes of individual personalities and their actions and it is used extensively for the purpose of various studies. It is very efficient for numerous issues such as group boundaries, the movement of the individuals in a group, identification of data of missing individuals, overlapping groups, and the selectivity of statistical methods. It does not focus on a single aspect but focuses on all the factors involved in a study (Gudmund, 1991). This study shall be conducted based on contextual analysis as the entire study is based on a specific context of the impacts of COVID-19 on the tourism industry of Cox’s Bazar, the pre and post-lockdown period. Content analysis is a detailed method used for its relevance of studies and unlike qualitative methods, it has a validity of sources (Wamboldt, 1992). This study has been conducted through content analysis as the paper consisted of citations and references from previously done research papers.

Chapter 4: Discussion and Findings

The purpose of this study is to focus on the importance of Public Relations in reviving tourism in Cox’s Bazar after the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 for a period of 8 months. The main objective of this research being to identify the role of PR and what effect it has planted on the people of Bangladesh. For this purpose, both primary and secondary research has been conducted. The data collected by using qualitative and quantitative research approaches. For the selection process of the focus groups and materials, three factors were kept in mind - relevance, verified and availability. An approximate of seven days were dedicated to the collection of data and three days were dedicated to analysing and cross-checking the acquired data.

Data Collection

To gather information on the COVID-19 effect on the tourism industry and how Public Relations was used to overcome the negative effects various organizations that are relevant to the subject were focused on collecting information. For the data collection, we focused on spreading our research methods broadly to gather maximum sources of information which will help analyse the knowledge gaps.

A. Primary Data: Primary data is collected directly from the main sources through interviews, surveys, sampling, and so on. For the primary data collection, research methods such as Interviews and Surveys on all involved parties of Tourism in Cox’s Bazar were conducted. A thorough analysis of the social media handles of involved parties was also done.

1. Interviews are one-to-one conversational style research conducted to obtain mainly qualitative data. For this research, the interview questions were kept open-ended to ensure bias-free answers and gather maximum intel. The focus groups for conducting the interviews were - Hotel Management Staff of hotels in Cox’s Bazar, Travel Agents, and Public Relations /Communications/Marketing Agency workers. The interview questions were divided into sets of questions that best suited the interviewees. The questions were semi-structured keeping in mind to note any interesting facts that came up during the interview.

A short list of all potential candidates for the interview was created. The participants were contacted via email and LinkedIn. The choice of participants was based on the earliest response and schedule. The interviews were carried out via phone calls. All responses and observations were noted down on Google Doc.

2. Surveys are essentially conducted to gather an understanding of the psychographics and demographics of the targeted audience. For this study, the focus groups for the survey were mainly Bangladeshi travel enthusiasts and people who have recently travelled to Cox’s Bazar. The questionnaire was structured and contained close-ended questions. A target of 100 responses was set; however, only 97 responses were received. For the distribution of survey forms, we targeted an ideal demography of - 18 and above in age and Bangladeshi nationality. The form was created on Google forms and distributed over Facebook. A list of potential travel groups in Bangladesh was made. The form links were distributed to each group. The availability of the form was dependent on whether the post was approved by the Facebook Group Admin. Consent of every respondent was taken during the survey. The response is recorded on Google Docs.

3. Social Media and Website Analysis was done to collect and observe PR tactics implemented by various hotels, travel agencies and transport companies to promote travelling and tourism post the COVID-19 lockdown.

DATA ANALYSIS

Data Analysis is conducted to identify useful information required for the subject of research as well as recognize vital key points that may provide different perspectives. For analysing the data collected an accurate summary of the research has been made. Similarities and differences in findings have been identified and pointed out and a conclusion based on comparison has been made. The key focus of data analysis is how the organisations responded to COVID-19 effects and what role PR has played in the process of recovery of business.

Interviews

Interview took place on 30th April in a semi structured set up. Because of covid-19 pandemic lockdown, it was not possible to conduct the interview face to face. Interviews were conducted over the phone.

1. Hotel Management Staff:

The hotel management staff were interviewed from Hotel ‘The Cox Today’ - a luxury hotel, and ‘Hotel Zaman International’ - an economy-style hotel. These two were selected to provide reliable information on a more spectrum of the customer demography, i.e., lower middle class to the upper level.

The local residential hotels play a significant role in the tourism industry. While they remain the most benefited in this industry during regular times, the COVID-19 caused substantial losses for all hospitality service sectors, and the hotels were no exception. The primary objective of the interviews directed to the hotel staff was to determine the economic effect on the business during COVID-19 lockdown and what measures were taken to revive the industry after the lockdown while also maintaining the safety protocol.

Two people have agreed to give the interview to help us gain the information needed for the research. All the information mentioned here is taken as per the interviewee's consent.

Discussion: It was recorded that both hotels believed that the peak hours of tourism in Cox’s Bazar usually are primarily during winter and Eid. Both the hotels suffered a significant monetary loss due to a lack of tourists during the COVID-19 lockdown. While maintenance and staff costs remained the same, income flow halted, resulting in the hotels needing to lay off employees. Both of them highlighted how the sea beach was an important factor in tourism in Cox’s Bazar.

Research Finding: Hotel The Cox Today agreed to use marketing strategies and promotions to renew business by promoting packages. The representative also responded to receiving positive feedback on the promotion tactics. The hotel had used its in-house marketing team and announced primarily via their social media handle on Facebook. The respondent also informed that the customers came in after looking at their packages and were highly cautious of all the hygiene and safety protocols.

Hotel Zaman International representative responded saying that “ No PR or marketing will work now, if situation gets better and people start travelling then the hotel can do business” The respondent also informed that the hotel’s business was facing major losses and did little business even after the lockdown was lifted, and had to take loans.

Analysing the data it can be concluded that Public Relations strategies were the need of the hour in the revival of the hotel’s business after the lockdown. While Hotel The Cox Today had taken the opportunity and implemented it, Hotel Zaman International did not implement it and is now behind the race.

2. Travel Agent: Travel Agents from Paramount Tours & Travels and Travel Freak were interviewed to understand the situation of travel agents in Covid-19. The travel agents were interviewed keeping in mind how the COVID-19 affected their organization, whether they employed PR as a revival strategy for their business, and how PR (if used) affected their business. During the interview, the consent of the interviewee was taken.

Discussion: It was recorded that both the travel agent representatives informed that before COVID-19 they saw a huge inflow of passengers including foreign passengers. However, after COVID-19 the number of passengers have significantly dropped. Both the agents agreed that the pandemic incurred severe loss to their businesses. Survival of their business had become a risk the previous year. Travel Freak responded to the monetary issue, MD. Arzu, CEO of Travel freak, said “We had to let go of our office space and started operating online in a work from home style to cut down on costs.” In contrast, Paramount Tours & Travels CEO Kazi Jaffery said “We did not lay off any employees or office space but we had to forsake special bonuses.” It is interesting to note that Paramount Tours & Travels has been in operation for more than ten years and has a considerably better financial standing than Travel Freak.

Research Finding:

Both of the interviewees agreed to use PR for promotional activities. However, the significant difference here is that Paramount Tours & Travel has an in-house dedicated PR & Marketing division. They use advanced online promotional tools such as Google AdSense and Facebook ads for push marketing and promoting flight activities and tickets. On the other hand, Travel Freak’s promotion activities were run by the founders through posts on Facebook. However, it is essential to note that Travel Freaks is now operating online and is remotely smaller than Paramount Tours & Travels.

Travel Freak also promoted its activities by creating focus groups on Facebook. Both of their activities gained successful results.

PR strategy is mainly dependent on the resource available to a business. Paramount Tours Travels is a relatively large company and can use advanced techniques and premium ad marketing tools. At the same time, Travel Freaks tailored its PR activities according to its available resources. However, the end statement being promotional tactics helped both.

3. PR Agency: A respondent from MADHOUSE PR, a new online-based PR solution provider participated in the interview. Due to a clash in schedule, only one respondent was interviewed from this sector. Consent of the interviewee was taken during the interview.

Discussion: It was noted that PR agencies do not particularly receive tourism promotion proposals from hotels and travel agencies. However, hotels and travel agencies were mostly seen as a strategic collaboration partner for corporate clients.

The representative agreed that PR was a crucial factor in reviving the tourism industry, especially after lockdown and should remain in use even after everything goes back to normal. The Creative Head said, “No one can escape Public Relations. You want your business to survive then you need PR. In crisis situations PR is your vaccine.” It was also found that Facebook is a popular platform of choice to promote travel and tourism among the Bangladeshis as Facebook has the highest activity rate online. He said, “When we say digital marketing, most people who are not involved in this business associate it to social media marketing. More so Facebook. But the point is do what's best for your business, if Facebook is the platform that will help your business so be it.” However, he added that Twitter and YouTube ads are a popular choice for promoting to foreign passengers.

Research Finding: Through this survey it is revealed that a majority of the citizens of Bangladesh are not ready to travel to Cox’s Bazar as they think it is not safe yet. While Hotels and Travel Agencies continue to promote their services and utilise various PR tactics, only a minority of the target audience are convinced through the message. A lot of the people also do not come across the promotions.

The primary pillar of PR strategy in this scenario would be to promote health and safety to make the target audience feel safer when travelling. As no PR can be promoted in the absence of quality service.

Social Media Analysis

1. Hotel The Cox Today

Hotel The Cox Today is one of the most popular hotels at Cox's Bazar has updated their website (Figure 1) ever since the beginning of the pandemic in the area. The notice of their shortened responding hours in social media as well as phone calls due to the pandemic is the first information visible on their Facebook page. They had no post about any safety measures undertaken by them amidst the pandemic in the ongoing year. However, their social media pages consist of various promotional posts regarding the services they provide. Unlike most hotels, their promotional strategy of uploading pictures and videos of their hotels were not monotonous. They consistently uploaded pictures and videos of various luxurious services and facilities they offer through “virtual tours”(Figure 2) as their promotional strategy.

Figure 1: Website of Hotel Cox Today

(Source:https://hotelthecoxtoday.com/?fbclid=IwAR1JRsn1utVk0VjN-OIF0FBWTyCEKcUq2HW0TxJ0IOJwfOk-VynD5hLZKFg)

Figure 2: Promotional post of Hotel The Cox Today (Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3641386675957979&id=161791517250863 )

The public reaction such as the number of likes, shares and comments (Figure 3) were quite normal as people were delighted to see pictures of travel destinations during challenging times. There were also a few comments from the consumers who inquired about the pricing and discounts the hotel had to offer. Some people appreciated the initiative in the comments section by expressing their views on how it was a delight for them to get the live view of the place.

Figure 3: Comments and likes of people on social media for the promotional post of virtual tours of Hotel The Cox Today (Source: https://www.facebook.com/161791517250863/posts/3744105105686135/)

Their social media posts only consisted of the various discounts they were offering on different packages. However, the public reaction on the post was very less despite the available offer. Their discounts were included on all packages they offered starting from 10 percent to 20 percent. As it is a high-end hotel, the discounts made no major contribution as the response was comparatively less. Their operations were proceeding normally with limitations, due to COVID they cancelled their annual celebrations of Christmas and New Year and continued to operate on a limited method as per the guidelines of the government. They informed their customers about their promotional activities through a social media post. Hotel The Cox Today was completely closed during the lockdown which started from March 26 and cancelled all the reservations made earlier; the hotel started their operation after 18th October, 2020, after receiving an official order by the government. From then following the government guidelines, the hotel opened for business for a limited basis

2. Seagull Hotel Cox's Bazar

Seagull Hotel is one of the most well-known hotels in Cox's Bazar. As per their updated website display (Figure 5), it mentions they are providing extra resources and assistance to their customers for Covid 19. The Social media posts of the hotel were not different at the time of pandemic. It was mostly the same as they were before except there were few posts which addressed their initiatives for ensuring customer safety. The hotel provided a limited time offer earlier this year, however the response was less compared to other times. Earlier Seagull Hotel provided discounts post lockdown period and the response from the customers was good. Many people showed their interest asking about the facilities and offers the hotel had to offer post lockdown period amidst the pandemic. However, the dynamics changed this year as the response from the public on the social media posts were drastically lower than before.

There were more casual promotional posts of the hotel except a few posts which included their measures directed towards the pandemic. In their post they confidently posted with the tagline “Book with confidence” as they claimed that they are taking the required safety measures as per the directions of the government and World Health Organization (W.H.O).

Figure 4: Seagull Hotel Cox's Bazar post of reopening business after lock down (Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3116181408494406&id=313276862118222)

Post lockdown one social media post was uploaded which consisted of seven point safety measures that the Seagull hotel are taking in order to continue safe business operations. In the post the hotel replaced the “Stay Home Stay safe" tagline with “Stay with peace of mind.” The second point included the facility of checking in and out of the hotel online. The third point included that the hotel vehicles such as airport transfers are fully sanitized and the operators are maintaining strict safety guidelines with sanitizers available in the transportation. The fourth point included their special concierge service which they are providing at all guest points for ensuring health and safety of their customers. The fifth point included the availability of trained staff members at their hotel with adequate safety training. The sixth point included their adaptation of marking high touch public areas such as door handles and increased extensive cleaning of the marked zones. The final point included that the rooms were individually disinfected after every stay for ensuring the official directives. In spite of the detailed information on the safety measures the post failed to attract the customers.

3. Royal Tulip Cox’s Bazar

Royal Tulip Luxury Resort Cox's Bazar is a five star spa and beach resort by Golden Tulip South Asia. Through the Cox’s Bazar promotional posts they offered quality accommodation and premium service. They claimed on their posts that guests can enjoy easy access to all that the lively city has to offer. With its convenient location, the hotel offers easy access to the city's must-see destinations. For the comfort and convenience of guests, the hotel offers 24-hour room service, free Wi-Fi in all rooms, 24-hour security, daily housekeeping, private check in/check out. All guest accommodations feature thoughtful amenities to ensure an unparalleled sense of comfort. The hotel offers many unique recreational opportunities such as badminton court, private beach, fitness center, sauna, outdoor pool etc. For attracting and convincing the people they are using more pictures and videos on safety precautions (Figure 6) continuously on their social media platform.

Figure 6: Royal Tulip Cox's Bazar: Service Promotion Post on Facebook (Source:https://www.facebook.com/royaltulipcoxsbazar)

For promotion they use different social media platforms but mostly they are using Facebook . They are offering discounts on several holidays (Figure 8) and this year they have given a special discount offer on the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh Independence (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Golden Jubilee Promotion By Royal Tulip (Source:https://www.facebook.com/royaltulipcoxsbazar)

Figure 8: Strategical Themed Package Promotional Posts by Royal Tulip(source:https://www.facebook.com/royaltulipcoxsbazar)

During the COVID-19 period they assure that they take the health and safety of their guests and employees extremely seriously, apply all prescribed protocols by the WHO and encourage our guests to support us in these efforts.

They claim that-

• A nurse is available and can assess the health of guests in case they feel any discomfort

• Guests have to wear masks meanwhile they are inside the hotel

• Physical distancing as per international norms in all areas of the hotel

• Increased cleaning and sanitation protocols in the hotel with branded chemicals

• Strict and permanent control on the health of hotel employees

From social media posts, it can be concluded that a majority of attention is given to promote their services and attract the clients as well. And most of the people make positive comments to see their posts.

4. Sayeman Beach Resort

After fifty years of glorious past, Sayeman Beach Resort revives its famed legacy of comfort, elegance and impeccable service. An eminent landmark constructed in 1964, this legendary first private hotel of Cox’s Bazar is reborn, infusing modern sophistication into this vintage-chic, iconic hotel at a new beachfront location of Marine Drive, Kolatoli, Cox’s Bazar.

Figure 9: Sayeman Beach Resort: COVID-19 awareness and tribute post, (Source:https://www.facebook.com/SayemanBeachResort)

For attracting the tourists and promoting their business they use several types of social media platforms like instagram, Facebook, youtube etc. but most of the time they use Facebook for their Cox’s Bazar promotional post. Through their post claim that the Hotel Sayeman now fully becomes a part of the exciting and rapidly changing present with the addition of a modern, elegant luxury oceanfront hotel. They also made sure to keep in touch with the COVID-19 awareness through tribute posts as CSR (Figure 9). The beauty of Cox’s Bazar – the climate, the panoramic ocean views, the sandy beaches, plus the rich culture and history along with the warmth of the sun – is what attracts people here. And the Sayeman Beach Resort provides you exactly just that with extraordinary comfort, luxury and services. . For attracting and convincing the people they are using more pictures and videos continuously on their social media platform.

Figure 10: Package as Promotion Post (Source: https://www.facebook.com/SayemanBeachResort)

They have used many different holiday promotions and offered discounts (Figure 10). For example: Bangla Noboborsho, Independence Day, Women's Day, Valentine's Day, Falgun, Christmas. Sometimes they promote prize/winning strategy on the occasion of special days. To celebrate its 5th anniversary, Sayeman Beach Resort ran a contest from 15th January to 22nd January 2020 through Facebook and declared that accommodation with breakfast. Winners will be announced on Sayeman’s Facebook page and will be contacted individually in the beginning of February 2020.

Sayeman Beach Resort is devoted to providing excellent facilities and the topmost hospitality service of this country. They always assure that people will have a comfortable stay at their hotel, by ensuring all health and safety measures during this covid 19 period. and they are certain that tourists will definitely enjoy all the facilities and services they provide. Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, where the situation looking direr with each passing day, Mr. Mahboob Rahman, managing director of Sayeman Beach resort and Sayeman team, is offering his help in every way possible for under-privileged people of a village in Himchori and also unemployed surfing boys of Cox's Bazar.

After the independence of 1971, travel agencies of Bangladesh face a huge challenge as COVID-19 has emerged as a curse for this sector. From the beginning of march 2020 this curse is going on and on. Hopefully our travel agencies along with tourism-related people are trying to cope with the new normal. They make their preparations and offer our customers to attach with them.

Through social media they also offer promotion packages and arrange some special programs for our national and international day. Some agencies provide their service for the whole year.

5. Mermaid Beach Resort

Mermaid Beach Resort is located just one kilometre away from its sister, the Mermaid Eco Resort. After arriving at Cox's Bazar airport in town, Anyone can be at the Beach Resort within a 20-minute taxi ride.

Through social media cox’s Bazar promotional post they offer Warm colours, warm smiles, comfort, and a lovingly nurtured balance of rusticity, nature and modernity. Located on the beach, Resort offers easy access to a secluded beach, luxurious rooms and organic, local, healthy, slow cooked food. They have two restaurants at the Resort. Our café serves local and Italian food and the second restaurant offers world cuisine – a diverse culinary offering to satisfy every palette.

Aside from the gorgeous beach and delicious food, Mermaid Beach Resorts boasts luxury rooms with flat screen TVs and cable, spacious bathrooms, hot water, private verandahs with day beds and hammocks and back up generator for uninterrupted convenience.

For families and children, They offer Kinder Beach, a private beach just for kids. Here, children can have supervised play time, while the adults enjoy some relaxing time for themselves. They also offer guided tours around the Cox’s Bazar area and have fun activities such as surfing, jet skiing, fishing and hiking. For more relaxed fun, we can arrange beach picnics and garden barbecues at your request.

They are active enough on social media and regularly try to share photos and videos of their activities, Resort view and other things on facebook, Instagram and youtube. Through social media they also offer promotion packages (Figure 11), discounts and arrange some special programs for our national and international day. This year before Ramadan, they gave “ 40% discount from Regular Room tariff for the month of April from 1st to 13th April 2021”.

Figure 11: Mermaid Beach Resort: Ramadan Post (Source:https://www.facebook.com/MermaidBeachResort)

They announced temporary closure due to novel coronavirus, from 1st to 14th April 2021. Due to expansion of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), for the safety and health of guests and employees, Bangladesh Government has issued an announcement that all the Portion Spots will be closed from 1st to 14th April 2021.

6. Tours and Travels

Tours and Travel is a travel agent company which provides the ticket sales of various local and international flights. The company claims to be providing extra support and assistance to the customers due to the pandemic. The most recent Facebook post of the company suggests that they are not providing special flights for Cox's Bazar but operating with only three regular flights per day.

Figure 12: Tours and Travel: Strategic Partnership Post (Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1346534515727732&id=691027317945125)

Another recent social media post was made in collaboration with Sayeman Hotel situated in Cox's Bazar with a package of three day and two nights and complimentary benefits (Figure 12). However no information was provided on the safety measures or guidelines as per the official announcement.

Transportation Website Analysis

Restrictions on public transportation have left some lacking information for the data collection of this data analysis report. Although the Government has restricted transportation throughout the country, they have reconsidered in enabling some of the city bus services due to the problems faced by the people of the country.

Due to the lack of transportation, the working-class people both from public and private sectors are facing difficulties, says the Minister of Road Transport and Bridges, Obaidul Quader. (The Daily Star, Monday, May 10, 2021)

Following that, it has also been notified that the long-route transports would still be considered under restriction which include road, waterway, and railway and domestic flights as well. (The Daily Star, Monday, May 10, 2021)

1. NOVOAIR

Strategic Planning during Covid-19

Due to the transportation restrictions in Bangladesh set by the Government in regards to the outbreak of the different types of strains and risks of Covid-19, NOVOAIR has stopped all flights in and out of Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar and more (Figure 13).

Figure 13: The above picture is collected from the website of Novoair where the information regarding the flights are given for passengers. (Source: https://secure.flynovoair.com/bookings/Vues/flight_selection.aspx)

Amidst this outbreak and the lack of information present on their site, we were still able to find a promotional package deal which was previously advertised in their site which was functioning before the restrictions were set (Figure 14, Figure 15 and Figure 16). The promotional packages came with many exciting offers and features which consisted of collaborations with many hotels/resorts in Cox’s Bazar. Some of which are as follows:

Figure 14: The above picture is taken from the website of Novoair on the package deal section of their website which shows their information of various offers in collaboration with different hotels. (Source:https://www.flynovoair.com/holidays/dhaka_coxbazar )

Figure 15: The above picture is taken from the website of Novoair on the package deal section of their website which shows their information of various offers in collaboration with different hotels. (Source: https://www.flynovoair.com/holidays/dhaka_coxbazar)

Figure 16: The above picture is taken from the website of Novoair on the package deal section of their website which shows their information of various offers in collaboration with different hotels. (Source:https://www.flynovoair.com/holidays/dhaka_coxbazar)

Promotional Package

Enjoy 3 Days/2 Nights Package to Cox's Bazar

From Dhaka

Starts from Tk 1,900 (EMI/6M).

Package Includes

• Including Airfare & Hotel Accommodation.

• 2 Nights Twin/Double Sharing Basis Accommodation

• Airport –Hotel-Airport Transfers

• Complimentary Breakfast for Two Persons

• Package includes all Tax & Surcharge

Terms & Condition

• Minimum 2 persons can avail this package.

• The package cannot be combined with any other offer.

• Child and Infant Rates are available upon request.

• This price is not applicable during BLACKOUT PERIOD (Puja/Christmas/Long Holiday)

• The package can be customizable

• The package is non refundable

2. SHOHOZ

Strategic Planning during Covid-19

Due to the transportation restrictions in Bangladesh set by the Government in regards to the outbreak of the different types of strains and risks of Covid-19, Shohoz has stopped all flights in and out of Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar and more.

Figure 17: The above picture is taken from the website of SHOHOZ on the Bus section of their website which shows their information of various timings for transportation. (Source: https://www.shohoz.com/bus-tickets)

3. TRIP.COM

Travel Information, Precaution and Safety

Trip.com initiated COVID-19 airline policies during the outbreak, one of which has been monitoring every situational aspect. They had managed to assist every traveler's needs with proper guidance and presented these airline policies for the safety and as reference. They have also mentioned on their website about the policies being temporary as the Government and rules keep changing frequently. Therefore, they have asked their customers to remain calm if there are delays, cancelled flights and cancellation requests to contact their call centers directly. The large number of these delays, cancelled flights and cancellation requests have caused them take more time than usual for the airlines to process the refunds which takes about 30-120 working days. Once the confirmation from the airlines have been declared the customer will get their refunds following which the bank or payment provider will complete the procedure.

Committed to Healthy Flying

• HEPA Filters

Trip.com has assured that the airlines and airports that they are associated with have HEPA Filters which help in filtering the cabin air thoroughly via High Efficiency Particulate Air Filters (HEPA). These aircraft filters help to remove airborne contaminants and dust particles such as viruses and bacteria which ensures clean cabin air. These advanced filters are similar to the ones used in hospitals operating rooms and industrial clean rooms which are filtered several times during flights.

• Hand Sanitization and Temperature Check

More precautions taken by the airlines include hand sanitization and temperature checks. Passengers have easy access to sanitizer throughout the entire journey in the airports for instance at every check-in counters, immigration and security check-points, departure areas and lounges, boarding gates and arrival areas. Temperature checks are vital for airlines and airports as it reduces the chances of people with symptoms from entering the airports or boarding the planes. The same as sanitization, temperature checks are maintained throughout the process.

• Deep Cleaning and Aircraft Ventilation

Airlines are regulating double the effort for cleaning the planes which includes strict disinfection starting from the seats to the overhead compartments, TV screens, meal trays and more done specially by professionals. Following that aircraft ventilation have been amped which assures fresh air from outside and discharge of used air transference throughout the flight.

• Social Distance and Modified Inflight Services

The airlines make sure there is a maximum distance between every passenger to the best effort and are constantly alarmed by the attendants as a reminder to maintain the instructions from the WHO guidelines for the safety of all. Modified inflight services such as providing hot-towels, pillows, catering services and blankets are suspended in crucial times.

• Catering Safeguards and Health Declaration Forms

The storage of all sorts of food and beverages are maintained with strict precaution when sanitizing for safety standards by the regulatory authorities. Health declaration forms are mandatory in some cases and the passengers are requested to provide all details and cooperate.

Dhaka to Cox's Bazar Flight Information

The flight information and prices are presented as a preview with initial prices, ranging from low to high, which are sorted by Trip.com on their flight information page (Figure 18.1). These ticket information are specified as peak season, cheapest return ticket and cheapest direct flight.

Figure 18.1: The above picture is taken from the website of Trip.com on the flights section of their website which shows their information of various offers regarding various pricing of their flights from affordable to normal price range. (Source: https://www.trip.com/flights/dhaka-to-cox-s-bazar/airfares-dac-cxb/#tab-links)

Following that are the flight pricing as well as the schedule time and date for the upcoming flights. These flights start at the price range of US$257 to US$343. These are specified as round-trips and the pricing differs from each other due to the requirements of different airlines. These given prices give the passengers an overall idea about the pricing ranges and they can specifically select their choice of airlines and see the offered pricings, dates and time of flights (Figure 18.2).

Figure 18.2. The above picture is taken from the website of Trip.com on the flights section of their website which shows their information of various offers regarding various pricing of their flights from affordable to normal price range. https://www.trip.com/flights/dhaka-to-cox-s-bazar/airfares-dac-cxb/#tab-links

4. Obhijaan

Due to the transportation restrictions in Bangladesh set by the Government in regards to the outbreak of the different types of strains and risks of Covid-19, Obhijaan has stopped all long-routed flights in and out of Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar and more. Although there are restrictions, they have price ranging information about the bus services for an overview for the passengers in the following picture.

Figure 19: The above picture is taken from the website of Obhijaan on the flights section of their website which shows their information of various offers regarding various pricing of their bus services from affordable to normal price range. https://www.trip.com/flights/dhaka-to-cox-s-bazar/airfares-dac-cxb/#tab-links

The prices are mentioned according to the features of the bus being Non-AC and including AC. The Non-AC pricing starts at the range of 750 to 800 and AC starts from 1000 to 2500. Some exceptions include economic and business seats. Economic seats start from the price range of 1400 to 1500 and Business seats start from the price range of 2000 to 2200 (Figure 19).

Findings of the Transportation Website Analysis

Throughout the analysis, the absence of information and findings of the transportation flights on various websites brought troubles in effective information. Following that, one of the websites which was Novoair, had some of their package deals in collaboration with various hotels with detailed information of days and expenses per person and more. Some of the packages claimed to be at a promotional price to attract many tourists along with proper guidelines. Such as, what the package includes and the terms and conditions for the package. Certain bus services such as SHOHOZ maintained their protocols by switching off their Bus section on their site entirely with the additional poster which stated that they were closed till further notice. An interesting finding which was found was, Trip.com; where it has given the passengers detailed information about flights and how they are maintaining every aspect when it comes to travel information, precaution and safety. They have also added an informative flight list with the proper information on flights starting from affordable ranges to normal priced flights. A different finding of bus ticket information was gathered from the Obhijaan site where they had a whole list of different bus brands along with the prices which varied with the buses that included AC or NON AC and Economy or Business.

Chapter 5: Conclusion, Limitations and Recommendations

Conclusion

In a nutshell, this research was based on the discussion, findings and analysis of the aftermath of the 8 months long COVID-19 lockdown that took place in the year 2020. The key focus was on the effect of the lockdown on the tourism industry especially in Cox’s Bazar and what role Public Relations played in its revival. The research involved looking at all involved parties of the tourism industry as well as previous studies conducted by researchers on various other pandemic effects on tourism as well as COVID-19.

The research concludes that almost all hospitality and travel agents utilized very similar Public Relations approaches. They have resorted to online platforms to promote their services. Collaborations between hotels and travel agents to provide holiday packages were seen as a common strategy. Besides PR, most hotels and travel agents considered cost-cutting and human resource layoffs to cope up with financial pressure.

For most cases digital strategy worked out for the best and their business fared better than those who did not use it. It was also noticed that not all strategies will work for everybody and they need to be tailored to what fits the organization and its audience best. Another finding included that, despite the PR activation, the concerned parties, especially transportation agents did not maintain service quality. This renders any PR strategy null and void. Therefore, in conclusion, Public Relations is the most effective tool to revive business if the plans are backed by proper research and claim what is true.

Limitations

With the overall approach towards the research proposal and planning for the formation of the final research paper and the process, it was discovered that there are a number of limitations that may be a hindrance to the research Such as:

As we are in a pandemic situation, for this research it might be difficult to conduct fieldwork which limits the effectiveness of getting first-hand data physically. We are relying on the internet and telephone for data collection.

During the literature review, some potential areas of weakness were found. Lack of study in the field of public relation’s contribution towards the tourism industry. This creates a lot of knowledge gaps that need to be fulfilled with more research work. Prior studies provide the backbone of research through the theoretical foundation for the research questions that we are investigating and in this case the scopes are somewhat limited. A lot of research work that reflects upon contingency plans and promotional tactics for reviving the tourism industry does not put into consideration the demography of Bangladesh.

A tight schedule of the semester (less than four months) is also a limit for this research. It might be difficult to get sufficient information for the research. This may lead to knowledge gaps or information gaps in the research. Fieldwork will not be possible amid pandemics. All the surveys and interviews will be done remotely.

Recommendations

After conducting an intensive month-long research, the study has discovered the best tactics as well as tactics with loopholes. Some recommendations to improve the effectiveness of PR to revive the tourism industry as well as promote tourism in Cox’s Bazar would be:

• Conduct proper research before planning strategy. A detailed SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats), audience analysis as well as situational analysis is necessary to design an effective plan that will guarantee results.

• Have contingency funds for PR and Marketing alone because crises can happen at any moment.

• Ensure proper quality of service, safety and hygiene. No PR strategy is going to work if the organization serves poor quality services.

• Influencer strategy may work for a large demography. Most of the recent travelers were seen going with friends as opposed to family. The younger generation (Millennials as well as Gen-Z) are more likely to be influenced by “Influencers”. Therefore, promoting package deals or Hotel services by collaborating with Influencers will not only act as a “word of mouth” appeal but also help build trust through these Opinion leaders.

• Devise a strategy to what fits your needs and capabilities. PR is not a one size fits all approach. It has to be tailored to what is best for the organization and its audience.

• Communication is key. It is important to take the audience feedback in consideration as well as maintain constant communication with them to promote brand loyalty.

• Evaluation and Changing of PR strategy is another important yet forgotten step. If one strategy does not seem as effective for the month, it should be altered for the other coming months.

• Focusing on the beauty of Cox's Bazar and promoting tourism in Cox’s Bazar through campaigns like “ Beautiful Cox’s Bazar” or any other campaign that focus on the natural beauty or promote sustainable development projects will bring a new light to Cox’s Bazar.

Reference

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