Regaining the Business Vigour: An Analysis of the Strategies Adopted by the Managers of Homestays in the Kandy Tourism Area

Abstract

The homestay sector is growing in popularity among tourists as a unique tourism product that offers more accurate insights into the culture of the host nation. However, because the global epidemic has spread, COVID-19 has had a huge negative influence on the overall tourism industry. Therefore, it makes sense that this worldwide crisis also had an effect on Sri Lanka's homestay sector. As a result, the primary objective of this study is to gain knowledge of the survival techniques the homestays in Sri Lanka employed in order to survive and overcome the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In-depth management interviews were conducted in the Kandy district of Sri Lank, which was used to gather the essential data. Following a thorough examination of the comments, three themes were found in interviews with the managers of six different homestays. This paper discusses the methods managers employed to deal with these difficulties.