Planning after COVID-19

: the case of Rent4Rest

Abstract

COVID-19 created a never seen impact on the overall economy. The tourism industry was highly affected and Rent4Rest, a Local Accommodation enterprise, was no exception. This dissertation aims to highlight an innovative plan in order to reorganize Rent4Rest’s objectives and strategies, having in mind the impact of COVID-19. To gather meaningful insights, interviews with high-profile professionals of the tourism sector were conducted, a survey was launched to individuals who travelled during 2020 and a benchmarking strategy was designed to examine Rent4Rest positioning. Results show that the consequences of COVID-19 were felt since the beginning of the pandemic, with a slight recovery during the high season (summer) in countryside areas due to internal tourism. On the contrary, since international tourism dropped, the recovery in the cities was below expectations. Moreover, travelers are now searching for higher support regarding health and sanitary measures and continuous updates concerning the rules to follow. What is more, from the survey conducted, it was understood that guests are more likely to stay at Local Accommodation properties when features such as contactless locks and a full equipped house are available. Finally, when comparing Rent4Rest with other companies, the firm faces a clear disadvantage on the social media platforms and after-stay interactions. Thus, this dissertation contributes with an innovative business plan to be implemented by Rent4Rest to gain competitive advantage and become more attractive to travelers.

Date of Award	3 Feb 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	João Cotter Salvado (Supervisor) & Rute Xavier (Co-Supervisor)