Can MSMEs in tourism survive the COVID-19 storm? A MSME view of their stakeholders

Purpose: This paper explores the challenges faced by the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the tourism industry in building capabilities toward being resilient in the wake of crises through a stakeholder perspective. Design/methodology/approach: This study identifies the barriers to building resilience through detailed literature review and expert interviews. A total of 13 barriers were identified and were classified into into three main categories, namely economic barriers, organizational barriers, and stakeholder barriers. Subsequently, primary data were collected to emperically validate the nature and strength of interactions between these barriers and to quantitatively identify their impact. Findings: The study identifies that in long run, stakeholder barriers are the most significant in building capabilities toward being resilient in the wake of crisis. However, for initial recovery, economic barriers need to be focused. Subsequently, organizational capabilities needs to be developed through stakeholder support. Practical implications: The study provides actionable insights to help MSMEs in the tourism industry to recover economically and to help them build lasting capabilities through organizational capability development and stakeholder support. Originality/value: This study is novel on two aspects. First, the study investigates role of MSMEs in the tourism industry and how MSMEs are pivotal in helping the industry recover from a crisis by being resilient. Second, the role of stakeholders in the MSMEs sector in tourism is underexplored area and this study adds value to this nascent literature.