Establishing the Conceptual Framework of Students’ Resilience Construct

This study explores, characterizes, and outlines a conceptual framework for the construct of tourism students’ resilience to the uncertainty caused by COVID-19. The novelty of this research lies in its focus on personal resilience through students’ attitudes toward a tourism career during a crisis. This research uses a mixed-methods approach by integrating qualitative insights with quantitative data from the validated COVID Stress Scales. This study reveals a novel four-phase resilience process, according to which a resilient construct emerges when students manage initial emotional disruptors, reframe adversity cognitively, and implement proactive behavioral strategies. This exploratory study contributes to the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions and career construction theory by illustrating the ways in which students reinterpret adversity, maintain motivation, and build resilience during a crisis. The research highlights the importance of fostering a resilient construct through skill development, university – industry collaboration, and workplace interventions by recommending actions in the four phases.