“It was not a bad dream … it was reality.” Examining sequential unprecedented crises in an ultra-peripheral tourism destination through the complexity theory lens

While the tourism and hospitality literature discusses different crises affecting businesses and their stakeholders, few studies examine firms confronting sequential extreme situations, in particular, firms operating in ultra-peripheral regions. While addressing this research gap, this study makes conceptual and empirical contributions. First, the experiences of La Palma Island’s hospitality and tourism firm owners and managers, after experiencing COVID-19 and the 2021 volcanic eruption, were gathered through semi-structured interviews to determine their impacts, ways to overcome them, and lessons learned. The analysis helped develop 12 dimensions with conceptual and practical value, including the bottom-line predicaments (impacts), harnessing entrepreneurship (overcoming impacts), and community welfare (key lessons learned) dimensions. Differences in perceptions between those living near and more distant from the volcano’s impacts were identified. Second, the study proposes a theoretical model that enhances understanding of sequential, unprecedented crises, offering insights into the future sustainability of tourism and hospitality firms.