Fourth International Conference on Tourism and Leisure Studies

Abstract

This paper will discuss how the phenomena of volatility, exposure and resilience have shaped the hospitality and tourism industry and how the industry in turn has adjusted to cope with these various factors thrust upon it. The impact of Brexit on the Irish hospitality industry will be used as a case study in this respect. The key output of the study will be to gain new insights into good practice in preparing for an anticipated economic shock of the potential magnitude of Brexit. The model will have practical implications in the future should the hospitality industry in Ireland or another nation face an economic shock from an exogenous force such as Brexit. The 21st century has witnessed a plethora of ‘shocks’ and crises that have forced the hospitality and tourism profession to adapt and respond or else face uncertainty and potential ruin. The paper uses examples from a range of existing literature (Ritchie, 2008; Tyrrell and Johnston, 2007; Faulkner, 2000) to argue that these components are interlinked and essential in order to understand the external forces on tourism. The tourism industry by its nature is an unpredictable entity and, as such, is highly exposed to both exogenous and endogenous threats. However, when endangered, tourism has shown itself to be extremely resilient to shocks (Sabatino, 2015).