The Impact of COVID-19 on Transport in Swat District, Pakistan

Abstract

The global economies were severely disrupted by the
COVID-19 pandemic with the tourism and hospitality sectors being
the hardest hit. The pandemic hit Pakistan, especially Swat, a
region dependent on tourism, hard, causing major economic losses,
business closures and unemployment. The transport sector was
further compounded by changes in consumer behavior. The
research examined the operational hurdles of transportation
services in tourism and employment shift and consumption
behavior change during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Swat’s
hospitality industry. In this study, in-depth interviews and focus
group discussions (FGDs) of 60 transport owners, managers and
employees were used as qualitative research methods. Data
collected was analyzed by using the Braun and Clarke six-step
model of Thematic Analysis to extract important themes from the
information. Findings showed that the extinction of tourism
resulted from the pandemic in terms of less customer flow and
huge economic losses to businesses. Through widespread layoffs
and job insecurity, many establishments temporarily shut down or
operated at minimal capacity. Consumers shifted their behavior
toward a health-conscious approach. These rapid changes were
beyond the capacity of the transport sector-related tourism to
adapt to, adding to economic hardships. Swat’s transport sector
was deeply affected by COVID-19, which disrupted businesses, jobs
and consumers. The sector will recover through its capacity to
transform its services into modern consumer requirements and
integration with modern technology. Monetary aid programs and
training initiatives along with financial motivation towards digital
transformation are needed in the recovery process. Building
tourism resilience should be promoted by implementing domestic
tourism with various offerings and emergency funds for tourism.
When the hospitality and transportation sectors in Swat engage in
public-private partnership and local community involvement, they
will facilitate sustainable equitable development in the hospitality
and transportation sectors.