What innovations would assist the North American hospitality and tourism industry to recover?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify what immediate actions can be taken by the North American hospitality and tourism industry to propel economic recovery in the industry. Design/methodology/approach A selected cross-section of relevant and recent publications is reviewed. Current practices that are in use by practitioners in the hospitality and tourism community are examined and shared. Findings This paper suggests that domestic tourism should be encouraged and that hospitality managers should: communicate what actions have been taken to mitigate Covid-19 transmission within their operations, understand what consumers want and need in a Covid-19 environment and embrace and leverage technology to its full potential. Originality/value This paper should be of interest as it is speaks to today's challenges that confront the North American hospitality and tourism industry in the Covid-19 operating environment.