The car rental industry in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic: pragmatism in management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15584/nsawg.2023.1.9Keywords:
car rental industry, transport, Prague, COVID-19 pandemic, management, car rental serviceAbstract
The aim of the article is to identify initiatives and solutions used by car rental companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The presented analyses concern the results of research conducted at car rental agencies located at Václav Havel Airport in Prague. The theoretical part involved a literature search, while a survey questionnaire was used to develop the empirical part. The study showed
that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly hindered and limited the development and operation of the car rental industry. The surveyed agencies recorded a 50% decrease in the number of orders. Losses led to cost reductions, which translated into redundancies or changes in staff contracts. To diversify the sources of income and potential customers during the pandemic
restrictions, assets not related to the company’s core business were disposed of and cooperation with other entities was initiated. The car rental customer profile and, consequently, the mobility patterns of travellers using car rental services also changed significantly. Expenditure on employee and customer health and safety arose, which placed an additional burden on the businesses. The results of the research may be a source of information for agencies that may meet similar and difficult conditions in the future.
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