Applying Chaos Theory to Crisis Management in the Hospitality Sector: Lessons from Ibb Hotels Yemen in Wartime

This study explores how hotels in Yemen, navigated crisis management amidst ongoing armed conflict, using Chaos Theory as a lens to interpret nonlinear, emergent, and adaptive responses. Employing a qualitative, phenomenological research design, the study captures the lived experiences of hotel managers, staff, and local stakeholders through semi-structured interviews, case studies, and document analysis. The findings reveal five major thematic patterns: nonlinear crisis responses, self-organization, adaptive resilience, security and financial recalibration, and comparative strategies across other war-affected regions. Hotels shifted away from formal crisis management plans toward real-time decision-making, decentralized operations, community-based security, and market diversification primarily targeting displaced populations and aid workers. Data were analyzed thematically using NVivo software, with triangulation and member checking employed to ensure research validity and trustworthiness. The study emphasizes the value of chaos-informed frameworks in understanding crisis adaptation and provides practical insights for hospitality practitioners, policymakers, and international agencies operating in fragile environments. It also contributes to the growing body of literature on tourism resilience, conflict adaptation, and sustainable hospitality in the Global South.