The School of Economics and Management of the University of Minho (EEG) is proud to announce that Alaa Mohamed Attia Abdelsalam, a PhD student in Business Administration, presented her doctoral thesis entitled "Resilience in the Tourism Supply Chain: A case study." on 30 September 2024.

In the words of the author, "This thesis highlights the need for targeted strategies to strengthen resilience in the tourism supply chain (TSC), particularly in Egypt. Policymakers must prioritize initiatives that enhance the capabilities of supply chain partners, such as hotels and distributors, while mitigating vulnerabilities exacerbated by global disruptions like the Arab Spring and the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that the tourism sector plays a critical role in Egypt's economy, generating employment and contributing to national income, fostering a more resilient supply chain can protect the sector from future shocks and ensure sustainable growth. By focusing on key areas like contingency planning and stakeholder engagement, policies can foster collaboration between local and international business entities, improving overall performance and reducing exposure to disruptions.

Moreover, this study suggests that multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) frameworks should be integrated into policy frameworks to assess and prioritize the vulnerabilities and capabilities of TSC partners. The unbalanced resilience levels among supply chain members, with hotels being better prepared than distributors, indicate the need for more coordinated efforts across the sector. Encouraging collaboration between public and private sectors and adopting resilience-enhancing strategies such as digitalization, capacity building, and risk diversification could further safeguard the tourism industry, ensuring that it continues to serve as an economic catalyst for Egypt and other countries relying on tourism as a key economic driver.

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The doctoral thesis was supervised by José António Crispim, Associate Professor with Habilitation in the Management Department of the School of Economics and Management of the University of Minho.

EEG congratulates Alaa Mohamed Attia Abdelsalam on his defence and wishes her every professional and personal success!