IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i7p2860-d1366482.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Range of Pandemic Adjustments: Changes to Texas Heritage Site Business Operations during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Salvesila Tamima

    (Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA)

  • Elyse Zavar

    (Department of Emergency Management and Disaster Science, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76201, USA)

  • Brendan L. Lavy

    (Department of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76109, USA)

  • Ronald L. Schumann

    (Department of Emergency Management and Disaster Science, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76201, USA)

Abstract

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, heritage sites, which protect natural and cultural resources, experienced the dauting task of sustaining business operations during the pandemic while serving the public by preserving and conserving resources. These businesses undertook risk reduction measures, conceptualized as adjustments, to mitigate the spread of disease while maintaining business operations. By engaging with Gilbert White’s (1942) Adjustment Theory, this study examines the adjustments made by Texas heritage sites in response to emerging risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we analyze adjustments made to reduce risk to visitors, financial stability, and programmatic offerings; explore the extent to which these adjustments facilitated sustainability, business expansion, and innovation; and identify what factors contributed to or hindered their recovery. This mixed-methods study employed an online survey and a follow-up semi-structured phone interview with heritage site managers. Our findings indicate Texas heritage sites implemented a range of fiscal and health related adjustments in response to the pandemic. Specific to fiscal adjustments, we found changes in visitors led to adjustments in business operations which also facilitated revenue generation for these entities. We also observed how new opportunities arose from the health adjustments in the form of remote offerings and new markets. Our findings emphasize the importance of adjustments made by heritage sites to continue their operations during the pandemic while also offering strategies to mitigate future risks.

Suggested Citation

  • Salvesila Tamima & Elyse Zavar & Brendan L. Lavy & Ronald L. Schumann, 2024. "A Range of Pandemic Adjustments: Changes to Texas Heritage Site Business Operations during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-21, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:7:p:2860-:d:1366482
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/7/2860/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/7/2860/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Morrish, Sussie C. & Jones, Rosalind, 2020. "Post-disaster business recovery: An entrepreneurial marketing perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 83-92.
    2. J. Birkmann & P. Buckle & J. Jaeger & M. Pelling & N. Setiadi & M. Garschagen & N. Fernando & J. Kropp, 2010. "Extreme events and disasters: a window of opportunity for change? Analysis of organizational, institutional and political changes, formal and informal responses after mega-disasters," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 55(3), pages 637-655, December.
    3. Md Ruknul Ferdous & Anna Wesselink & Luigia Brandimarte & Giuliano Di Baldassarre & Md Mizanur Rahman, 2019. "The levee effect along the Jamuna River in Bangladesh," Water International, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(5), pages 496-519, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rebecca Page & Lisa Dilling, 2020. "How experiences of climate extremes motivate adaptation among water managers," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 161(3), pages 499-516, August.
    2. Bimal Kanti Paul & Munshi Khaledur Rahman & Max Lu & Thomas W. Crawford, 2022. "Household Migration and Intentions for Future Migration in the Climate Change Vulnerable Lower Meghna Estuary of Coastal Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    3. Mai, Nhat Chi, 2022. "Bibliometric analysis of entrepreneurial marketing during the COVID-19 pandemic," OSF Preprints y8asv, Center for Open Science.
    4. Hartwell, Christopher A., 2021. "What Drove the First Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic? The Role of Institutions and Leader Attributes," MPRA Paper 110563, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Nicholas A Cradock-Henry & Joanna Fountain & Franca Buelow, 2018. "Transformations for Resilient Rural Futures: The Case of Kaikōura, Aotearoa-New Zealand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-19, June.
    6. Hossain, Mohammad Rokibul & Akhter, Fahmida & Sultana, Mir Misnad, 2022. "SMEs in Covid-19 Crisis and Combating Strategies: A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and A Case from Emerging Economy," Operations Research Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 9(C).
    7. Yun Tang & Ying Wang, 2022. "Learning from Neighbors: The Spatial Spillover Effect of Crisis Learning on Local Government," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-20, June.
    8. Chonglan Guo & Xiaoxia Xu & Zaiwu Gong, 2014. "Co-integration analysis between GDP and meteorological catastrophic factors of Nanjing city based on the buffer operator," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 71(2), pages 1091-1105, March.
    9. Olivier Torrès & Alexandre Benzari & Christian Fisch & Jinia Mukerjee & Abdelaziz Swalhi & Roy Thurik, 2022. "Risk of burnout in French entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 crisis," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 717-739, February.
    10. Mar Vila & Gerard Costa, 2024. "Post-Pandemic Shifts in Pro-Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors in a Marine Protected Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-14, August.
    11. Felix Riede, 2014. "Towards a science of past disasters," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 71(1), pages 335-362, March.
    12. Aliperti, Giuseppe & Sandholz, Simone & Hagenlocher, Michael & Rizzi, Francesco & Frey, Marco & Garschagen, Matthias, 2019. "Tourism, Crisis, Disaster: An Interdisciplinary Approach," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    13. Leonardo, Elias & Dorward, Peter & Garforth, Chris & Sutcliffe, Chloe & Van Hulst, Freddy, 2020. "Conflict-induced displacement as a catalyst for agricultural innovation: Findings from South Sudan," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    14. Valentina Della Corte & Giovanna Del Gaudio & Fabiana Sepe & Simone Luongo, 2021. "Destination Resilience and Innovation for Advanced Sustainable Tourism Management: A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-19, November.
    15. Islam Elgammal & Mashhour Hani Baeshen & Ghada Talat Alhothali, 2022. "Entrepreneurs’ Responses to COVID-19 Crisis: A Holistic Dynamic Capabilities Perspective in the Saudi Food and Beverage Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-22, October.
    16. Ensor, Jonathan & Tuhkanen, Heidi & Boyland, Michael & Salamanca, Albert & Johnson, Karlee & Thomalla, Frank & Lim Mangada, Ladylyn, 2021. "Redistributing resilience? Deliberate transformation and political capabilities in post-Haiyan Tacloban," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    17. Daniel Nohrstedt & Jacob Hileman & Maurizio Mazzoleni & Giuliano Baldassarre & Charles F. Parker, 2022. "Exploring disaster impacts on adaptation actions in 549 cities worldwide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    18. Christopher J. Boudreaux & Anand Jha & Monica Escaleras, 2023. "Natural disasters, entrepreneurship activity, and the moderating role of country governance," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(4), pages 1483-1508, April.
    19. Kourtit, Karima & Nijkamp, Peter & Banica, Alexandru, 2023. "An analysis of natural disasters’ effects – A global comparative study of ‘Blessing in Disguise’," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    20. Chen, Ji & Huang, Jiayan & Su, Weihua & Štreimikienė, Dalia & Baležentis, Tomas, 2021. "The challenges of COVID-19 control policies for sustainable development of business: Evidence from service industries," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:7:p:2860-:d:1366482. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.