Crisis Preparedness Strategies and Tourism Resilience: Does Organisation Size Matter?

Global crises, including pandemics, political instability, and climate-related disasters, have exposed critical vulnerabilities in the tourism sector. The increasing frequency and intensity of these crises raise critical questions about the preparedness of tourism organisations. Crisis preparedness is paramount in crisis management as it requires a well-developed crisis management plan that is critical in helping tourism organisations to react effectively during crises. This study investigates the relationship between crisis preparedness strategies and organisational resilience among tourism enterprises in Nairobi City County, Kenya, with particular attention to the moderating effect of organisational size. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, data were collected from 284 licensed tourism organisations spanning micro, small, medium, and large enterprises. Quantitative analysis employing multiple linear regression revealed a strong positive association between crisis preparedness, measured through contingency planning and emergency capacity building, and organisational resilience (R² = 0.671, p < 0.001). Notably, while larger organisations benefited from structured systems and resource endowments, smaller enterprises demonstrated resilience through informal coping mechanisms and agility, although they often lacked formal preparedness frameworks. Importantly, the interaction effect of organisational size was non-significant, suggesting that the efficacy of preparedness strategies is universally beneficial across firm sizes. The findings have critical policy implications for Kenya’s broader tourism resilience agenda. There is a clear need for differentiated policy approaches that recognise the varying capacities of small and large enterprises. The findings demonstrate the need for a shift from reactive crisis responses to proactive resilience planning, which must be institutionalised within organisational structures and supported through external partnerships.