Government Credibility, Official Communication, and Destination Reputation after Crisis: A Systematic Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24922/eot.v13i1.3198Keywords:
government credibility, destination reputation, crisis communication, systematic literature review, post-crisis recoveryAbstract
In the aftermath of a crisis, rebuilding destination reputation and restoring tourist confidence is critical, where government credibility and effective communication are vital for regaining trust. This study aims to examine the factors that influence tourist confidence and destination reputation post-crisis, focusing on the impact of public policy, crisis communication strategies, and institutional trust, and develops a conceptual model for managing destination recovery and sustainability. This study employs a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA framework, using the Scopus database, and focusing on articles published from 2020 to 2025. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 22 articles were selected. A bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer was performed to map the relationships and trends in the studies included. Crisis communication, institutional trust, transparency, and government responses have proven to be pivotal in rebuilding trust and destination image. Additionally, social media, user-generated content, and influencer marketing are integral in maintaining loyalty and driving revisit intentions. The integration of public policy, strategic communication, and digital media is essential in restoring destination reputation post-crisis. Governments must leverage transparency, consistency in messaging, and social media to rebuild public trust and enhance the tourist experience. This study offers a new framework for post-crisis communication strategies, emphasizing the role of government credibility and consistent messaging in restoring tourist trust and destination reputation.
References
Al-Fadly, A. (2020). Impact of covid-19 on smes and employment. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 8(2), 629–648. https://doi.org/10.9770/jesi.2020.8.2(38)
Alshehri, A. (2024). Social Media in Tourism: A Twitter (X) Social Graph Approach to #Alula. Journal of Tourism and Services, 15(28), 253–267. https://doi.org/10.29036/jots.v15i28.715
Balakrishnan, J., Dwivedi, Y. K., Malik, F. T., & Baabdullah, A. M. (2023). Role of smart tourism technology in heritage tourism development. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 31(11), 2506–2525. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2021.1995398
Breek, P. (2024). Neighborhood governance during COVID-19: What is lost with reduced face-to-face communication? In Journal of Urban Affairs. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2022.2105225
Chen, Y. F., Law, R., & Yan, K. K. (2022). Negative eWOM Management: How Do Hotels Turn Challenges into Opportunities? Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality and Tourism. https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2021.1911729
Djabbar, A., Machmud, M., & Rahayu, M. (2025). Tourist ’ Behavior and Its Impacts to The Sustainability of Tours and Travel Operation : Evidence from Indonesia. E-Journal of Tourism, 353–369.
Dolamore, S., Lovell, D., Collins, H., & Kline, A. (2021). The role of empathy in organizational communication during times of crisis. Administrative Theory and Praxis. https://doi.org/10.1080/10841806.2020.1830661
Geeraert, N., Ward, C., & Hanel, P. H. P. (2022). Returning home: The role of expectations in re-entry adaptation. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12361
Guo, X., Pesonen, J., & Komppula, R. (2022). Analysing online travel reviews to identify temporal changes of a destination image. European Journal of Tourism Research. https://doi.org/10.54055/ejtr.v32i.2447
Gupta, V., Galati, A., & Sharma, S. (2023). Explore, eat and revisit: does local food consumption value influence the destination’s food image? British Food Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-10-2022-0844
Harrington, R. D. (2021). Natural disasters, terrorism, and civil unrest: crises that disrupt the tourism and travel industry-a brief overview. In Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-01-2021-0008
Harris, R. (2024). The aesthetics and imaginaries of Uyghur heritage, Chinese Tourism, and the Xinjiang dance craze. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 30(8), 872–887. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2024.2342289
Ioannou, A., Tussyadiah, I., & Miller, G. (2021). That’s Private! Understanding Travelers’ Privacy Concerns and Online Data Disclosure. Journal of Travel Research, 60(7), 1510–1526. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287520951642
Khan, S. (2021). Crisis Communication and Destination Image Management during COVID-19: A Case of Top Ten International Tourist Arrival Countries. International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Systems.
Lee, D., Kim, S., Han, H., & Wong, A. K. F. (2020). Casino tourism development is blessing or curse? Assessment of casino tourism impacts and suggestions for sustainable casino tourism development. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 25(11), 1168–1184. https://doi.org/10.1080/10941665.2020.1837891
Lee, Y., & Li, J. Y. Q. (2021). The role of communication transparency and organizational trust in publics’ perceptions, attitudes and social distancing behaviour: A case study of the COVID-19 outbreak. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.12354
Li, S., Chen, M., Ma, X., & Sun, Z. (2024). Applying an Extended Protection Motivation Theory Model to Predict Resident Hospitality During the COVID-19 Crisis. Journal of Travel Research, 63(5), 1201–1218. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231187334
Liu, S., & Zheng, D. (2023). Impacts of tourists’ trust, perception and acceptance of health quick response technology on responsible pandemic travel behaviours. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-11-2021-0330
Martín, J. C., Moreira, P., & Román, C. (2020). A hybrid-fuzzy segmentation analysis of residents’ perception towards tourism in Gran Canaria. Tourism Economics, 26(7), 1282–1304. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816619873463
Meng, Y., Khan, A., Bibi, S., Wu, H., Lee, Y., & Chen, W. (2021). The Effects of COVID-19 Risk Perception on Travel Intention: Evidence From Chinese Travelers. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.655860
Mertha, I. W., Yunita, P. I., & Tirtawati, N. M. (2025). Creating Quality Tourism Destinations : The Crucial Role of Community Participation and Government Support in Batur UNESCO Global Geopark- Bali. E-Journal of Tourism, 178–197.
Mubarrok, W., Dewanti, D. S., & Purna, F. P. (2025). Do External Factors Affect the Level of Tourist Visits. Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Terapan Universitas Jambi, 9(1), 323–332. https://doi.org/10.22437/jiituj.v9i1.32433
Nguyen, D. N., Kumakura, M., Kudo, S., Esteban, M., & Onuki, M. (2021). Overcoming negative disaster images: how Fukushima’s sake breweries challenged negative stereotypes and rebuilt its regional brand. Journal of Tourism Futures, 7(3), 390–405. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-11-2020-0197
Nieuwland, S., & van Melik, R. (2020). Regulating Airbnb: how cities deal with perceived negative externalities of short-term rentals. Current Issues in Tourism, 23(7), 811–825. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2018.1504899
Nunes, S., del Moral Agundez, A., da Fonseca, J. F., Chemli, S., & Seo, K. J. (2022). Descriptive Analysis of the Recent Advances of Film-Induced Tourism: Identification of Strengths, Gaps and Opportunities. Academica Turistica, 15(2), 233–247. https://doi.org/10.26493/2335-4194.15.233-247
Pahrudin, P., Chen, C. T., & Liu, L. W. (2021). A modified theory of planned behavioral: A case of tourist intention to visit a destination post pandemic Covid-19 in Indonesia. Heliyon. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08230
Pahrudin, P., Liu, L. W., Royanow, A. F., & Kholid, I. (2023). a Large-Sport Event and Its Influence on Tourism Destination Image in Indonesia. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 29(3), 335–348. https://doi.org/10.20867/thm.29.3.2
Pascual-Fraile, M. D. P., Talón-Ballestero, P., Villacé-Molinero, T., & Ramos-Rodríguez, A. R. (2024). Communication for destinations’ image in crises and disasters: a review and future research agenda. In Tourism Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-11-2021-0521
Popova, S., Popova, L., Kazanchhuk, I., Bandurka, I., & Kyrieieva, I. (2021). The role of local self-government bodies in prospective areas of regional development. Estudios de Economia Aplicada, 39(7). https://doi.org/10.25115/eea.v39i7.5000
Rahman, M. K., Gazi, A. I., Bhuiyan, M. A., & Rahaman, A. (2021). Effect of Covid-19 pandemic on tourist travel risk and management perceptions. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256486
Ravikumar, A., Al Subhi, S., & Meesala, K. M. (2022). Community Perception and Attitude towards Sustainable Tourism and Environmental Protection Measures: An Exploratory Study in Muscat, Oman. Economies, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/economies10020029
Sadykova, D., Mamirova, K., Asenov, A., Kenzhebaj, R., & Kubessova, G. (2025). Leveraging Astana’S Tourism To Build a “Brand City” Reputation. Revista Iberoamericana de Viticultura Agroindustria y Ruralidad, 12(34), 109–124. https://doi.org/10.35588/cb84nm08
Saini, H., Kumar, P., & Oberoi, S. (2023). Welcome to the destination! Social media influencers as cogent determinant of travel decision: A systematic literature review and conceptual framework. In Cogent Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2023.2240055
Seyfi, S., Kuhzady, S., Rastegar, R., Vo-Thanh, T., & Zaman, M. (2025). Exploring the dynamics of tourist travel intention before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review. Tourism Recreation Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2024.2330236
Singh, V. K., Singh, P., Karmakar, M., Leta, J., & Mayr, P. (2021). The journal coverage of Web of Science, Scopus and Dimensions: A comparative analysis. Scientometrics, 126(6), 5113–5142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-021-03948-5
Susanti, C. E., Hermanto, Y. B., & Suwito, B. (2023). The Effect of Tourist Destination Image (TDI) on Intention to Visit through Tourism Risk Perception (TRP) of COVID-19 in the Tourism Industry in the New Normal Era in Indonesia: Case Study in East Java. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm16020076
Tripathi, G., & Wasan, P. (2021). Positioning of tourist destinations in the digital era: a review of online customer feedback. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-09-2020-0122
Tripura, K., Butler, G., Szili, G., & Hannam, K. (2024). Indigenous resistance to settler colonialism: tourism stories from the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Tourism Geographies, 26(6), 953–969. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616688.2023.2231424
Warintarawej, P., Thongsri, N., Seksan, J., & Marchoo, W. (2025). MICE city ecosystems: building collaboration through information systems–a case study from Thailand. Cogent Business and Management, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2025.2460627
Yaja, M., Kumar, A., Mamung, M., & Roy, B. (2024). Informed Local Communities Act As Catalysts for Tourism Development: Evidence From Rural India. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 30(1), 27–37. https://doi.org/10.20867/thm.30.1.3
Yong, R. Y. M., Chua, B. L., Han, H., & Kim, B. (2022). Taste your way across the globe: a systematic review of gastronomy tourism literature (2000-2021). Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2023.2184445
Yuan, F., & Vui, C. N. (2023). The Influence of Destination Image on Tourists’ Behavioural Intentions: Explore How Tourists’ Perceptions of a Destination Affect Their Intentions to Visit, Revisit, or Recommend It to Others. Journal of Advanced Zoology. https://doi.org/10.17762/jaz.v44is6.2471
Zhao, Z. F., & Li, Z. W. (2023). Destination authenticity, place attachment and loyalty: evaluating tourist experiences at traditional villages. Current Issues in Tourism. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2022.2153012
