Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Experiences And Concerns Of Female Hotel Housekeepers In The First Stages Of The Covid-19 Lockdown In The Balearic Islands (Spain): A Qualitative Study, Xenia Chela-Alvarez, Cristian Sanchez-Rodriguez, Oana Bulilete, Mclara Vidal-Thomàs, Joan Llobera

The Qualitative Report

Strongly enforced mobility restrictions to deter the spread of COVID-19 severely impacted tourism, a pivotal economic sector of the Balearic Islands. Little is known about the experiences of the most economically affected groups, such as hotel housekeepers. This study aimed to explore the experiences and concerns of hotel housekeepers (approximately 13,000 worked in the Balearic Islands before the pandemic) during the first stages of the COVID-19 lockdown. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by telephone in April of 2020. Thematic analysis was used for interpretation. Eighteen hotel housekeepers were interviewed. Main experiences and concerns identified were: (a) distress due to employment status …