Impactos de la pandemia en Bariloche (Argentina): Un abordaje cuantitativo-cualitativo de sus efectos en la trama turística local (Abril 2020 - Abril 2021)

Abstract

Objectives: The article seeks to understand the economic and business impacts of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourist industry in the city of Bariloche, analyzing the effects of the crisis on the level of activity and income, as well as on the productive, commercial and financial strategies of different sectors. Design / methodology / approach: A quantitative study, based on different available data sources, was combined with a qualitative study, based on in-depth interviews. The former allows us to contextualize the impact of the pandemic on tourist arrivals, hotel activity, sales in other sectors, or people mobility, while the latter contributes to investigate and compare other dimensions, such as productive, commercial, organizational and financial responses. Results and Discussion: The results show the severity of the tourism crisis in Bariloche, which in some segments continued throughout the entire period. Although many sectors showed a recovery in the summer of 2021 (which was still below the pre-pandemic), the previous nine months of very low or no activity usually translate into the persistence of different economic and financial challenges and vulnerabilities. Originality / value: The article provides a holistic, quantitative and qualitative view of the economic and business effects of the pandemic on tourism activity in the city of Bariloche, analyzing not only the typical sector of hotels and restaurants, but also the supply of different tourism services (by companies and independent workers) and tourism-related retailers. It also studies both traditional dimensions (activity, sales or employment) and new indicators that have emerged in the context of the pandemic (people mobility), as well as other business responses.