The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the global economy, which has led to significant turbulence in the business sector by creating new challenges, directly affecting revenues, profitability and liquidity. Company’s liquidity has suddenly become a challenge for businesses around the world, and securing liquidity has become a key factor to economic survival. In order to preserve the stability of the economy during the pandemic, the governments of numerous countries have created policies aimed at mitigating its effects on the economy. Among others, state subsidies that were directly aimed at maintaining the liquidity of micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Republic of Croatia were provided. Companies that operate in industries that have a significant dependence on tourism sector were particularly affected, experiencing the most intense negative impact on business. The goal of this research is to provide an overview of existing research regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on business and on the effectiveness of state aid during the pandemic. This research examines the effectiveness of state aid for preserving companies’ liquidity in the Republic of Croatia that operate in the industry of providing accommodation and preparing and serving food. The results showed that the measures to maintain liquidity were effective since the companies that used aid for maintaining liquidity had significantly fewer problems with liquidity compared to those that did not. Further research should focus on examining the effect of all government subsidies in the Republic of Croatia on the liquidity during the COVID-19 pandemic.