Gestão estratégica e modelos de negócios para o contexto de crise nas agências de viagens do Brasil

Abstract

Environments conducive to crises and rapid changes cause turbulence in the market in general. Tourism is part of this scenario of uncertainty, in which the travel agency sector is undergoing restructuring and facing robust problems. Experts in business growth in uncertain environments emphasize that strategies based on old and rigid management models face challenges and indicate new scientific evidence anchored in the theory of Transient Competitive Advantage (VCT). Thus, the central objective of this thesis is to analyze strategies and applicability of business models in the context of crises in travel agencies in Brazil. This is an applied descriptive-exploratory study, with a qualitative approach, divided into several stages. Initially, the objective was to identify dimensions necessary to guide the research, investigating subjective aspects to support the discussion. In the next phase, with the rupture of the consolidated theme through the state of the art of studies and publications of articles in renowned journals in the area by the researchers (student and supervisor of this thesis), it was possible to construct the theoretical framework and elaborate a preliminary model, submitted for evaluation through a pre-test to travel agents in Brazil. In the third stage, it was possible to design and construct the model based on existing models. In the fourth stage, multiple case studies were conducted in five travel agencies from each state of the country indicated by ABAV - Brazilian Association of Travel Agencies, with the intentional sample representing the five regions of the country. At this stage, the in-depth interview instrument was designed to understand the meanings and situational characteristics presented by travel agents. After applying and analyzing the interviews through content analysis, academic and marketing contributions were made to the travel agency market. As a conclusion, the thesis presents a new model in which travel agencies in Brazil, although driven by changes in the business models used that do not fully represent innovative and disruptive aspects, manage to maintain satisfactory positions in crisis environments, through the creation of bonds established with their clients through the values of trust, security and respect for the brand, allowing agencies longevity in the market.