Purpose This paper aims to review the state of national biosecurity planning. The authors recognised tourist vectoring can increase the risk of invasive alien species (IAS) and disease; representing substantial biosecurity risk for tourism destinations worldwide. This research assesses the provision of biosecurity mitigation measures within national biosecurity plans and guidelines internationally. The author’s position in this issue contends that a lack of sufficient biosecurity risk management and planning in place for tourism could have severe impacts on a destination’s environment, society, and economy. Design/methodology/approach The authors systematically reviewed national biosecurity planning through a mixed-method research approach. Frist, essential criteria identified from international literature allowed for content analysis to assess specific national biosecurity plans and strategies. Second, qualitative data was then gathered by conducting semi-structured interviews within national governing bodies and organisations. Findings Planning for tourism biosecurity varies around the world with some destinations demonstrating highly evolved plans such as Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia. However, this is not the case in Ireland where planning for biosecurity at a national level is severely limited. Biosecurity planning, pathway management, communication, quarantine and plans for tourism risk are inadequate to prevent the introduction and spread of IAS and disease in Ireland. Recommendations offer destinations globally and with “island status” an opportunity for biosecurity to be improved by using surveillance, communication, guidelines and specific capacities at the border stages within a specific national biosecurity plan. Originality/value This review on the state of national planning for biosecurity provides new knowledge specifically for tourism destinations worldwide, which can adopt the essential elements identified within this research for a national tourism biosecurity risk framework.

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A lack of sufficient biosecurity communication for tourists can lead to higher biosecurity risk which may result in severe environmental, human health and associated economic impacts. The scope of this research is to assess biosecurity plans and communication strategies of Ireland’s major ports, state agencies and governing bodies involved in outdoor recreational activities which have the potential to mitigate biosecurity risk. A mixed method approach was utilised which consisted of content analysis as well as structured qualitative interviews. Analysis has revealed limited communication to tourists arriving in Ireland’s ports and few plans or biosecurity communication strategies in place by national agencies. The need to provide adequate communication of biosecurity measures aimed at mitigating the potential for tourists to vector dangerous microbes and aid biological invasions seems not to have been recognised. In order to reduce Ireland’s biosecurity risk the need for comprehensive biosecurity planning and communication is vital in order to increase tourist awareness of biosecurity measures at pre-border, border, and post-border stages. This paper concludes that low levels of biosecurity communication is worrying and may pose a considerable biosecurity risk to Ireland. It offers an opportunity to be improved before a serious biosecurity breach occurs possibly resulting in a lost tourist season or expensive eradication programmes as has been witnessed in other destinations worldwide. This research has also highlighted the need for theory to adequately reflect the role of communication by emphasising its inclusion in new or updated biosecurity frameworks to be developed into the future.

This study provides a unique vista of tourism biosecurity preparedness for a destinations’ tourist ports of entry. Existing tourism biosecurity research deals with organisational resilience and tourists’ biosecurity behaviour, however, has not explicitly examined tourism biosecurity preparedness at global or destinations tourist ports of entry levels. To fill this gap, this research utilises twenty-six tourism biosecurity criteria generated from a systematic international literature review to analyse international biosecurity instruments and Irish tourist ports of entry. A mixed-method approach was utilised through content analysis of international biosecurity instruments and Irish tourist ports of entry. A survey and semi-structured interviews were used to support the findings of the content analysis at Irish tourist ports of entry. Analysis determined the Irish tourist ports of entry sampled were severely lacking any provision for tourism biosecurity preparedness. International biosecurity instruments had a necessary level of biosecurity standards; however, a notable omission of tourism that adversely impacts tourism biosecurity preparedness. This research recommends international biosecurity instruments improve capacities for tourism- specific measures. Tourist ports of entry should integrate specific tourism biosecurity measures into passenger operations to ensure greater destination resilience.

The use of smart mobile technology could potentially ease Ireland's level of biosecurity risk from tourism. Smart mobile technology is capable of improving communication of biosecurity monitoring, mitigation, and eradication measures to tourists in Ireland. The scope of this research is to assess biosecurity communication from Ireland's major ports, state agencies, and governing bodies involved in outdoor recreational activities. The aim of this paper is to assess Ireland's biosecurity communication for any smart mobile technology in national agencies. A mixed method approach was utilised which consisted of content analysis as well as structured qualitative interviews. Analysis has revealed that no evidence of smart mobile technology for biosecurity communication is in place for tourists arriving in Ireland's ports or in national agencies. The importance of timely communication of biosecurity measures and alerts seems to not have been recognised. The use of this technology could mitigate the risk of tourists vectoring dangerous microbes and aiding biological invasions. This paper concludes that a low emphasis on adopting smart mobile technology could be unnecessarily contributing to Ireland's biosecurity risk. It offers an opportunity to be improved before a serious biosecurity breach occurs possibly resulting in a lost tourist season or expensive eradication programmes as has been witnessed in other destinations worldwide.