The tourism disaster vulnerability framework: an application to tourism in small island destinations

Abstract

Islands are known to be vulnerable to natural hazards, resulting in substantial risks for their tourism industries. To facilitate the systematic analysis of the underlying vulnerability drivers, a Tourism Disaster Vulnerability Framework was developed. The conceptual model then guided qualitative empirical research in three regions; the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and the Indian Ocean. The results from 73 interviews highlight common, as well as idiosyncratic, factors that shape the islands' hazardscapes and vulnerabilities. Key vulnerabilities included social, economic, political and environmental dimensions. Probably the most critical vulnerability driver is the lack of private sector investment in disaster risk reduction. This is interrelated with deficient planning processes, ongoing demand for coastal products, lack of political will, and poor environmental conditions. Notwithstanding many barriers, some businesses and organisations engage proactively in addressing disaster risk. The paper's empirical evidence supports the validity of the framework and suggestions for further research are made.

Tourism resilience in the context of integrated destination and disaster management (DM2)

“…The interviews with the PMs revealed their concern of tourism industry's unawareness of the problem and, as a result, poor business preparedness to face the consequences when the climate change–induced disastrous events strike. This dubious view on the issue of climate change matches Becken et al's () findings. This highlights the need for tourism PMs in Grenada to work closely with the tourism industries with a view of raising corporate awareness of the global challenge of climate change and its implications for the long‐term business sustainability.…”

“…A number of reasons were provided to explain the lack of planning strategies, including business size and cost (Nguyen et al, ) and even the complacency mentality, that is, “this can't happen here.” United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction () suggests that the tourism organizations are capable of dealing with low‐impact events but, in the case of (more severe) events that require active planning, the capability of the industry is low. Thus, implementing managerial frameworks that guide the operation of the tourism organization and the destination in which it operates prior, during, and postdisaster is necessary to control the extent of disaster effects (Ritchie, ) as these impact the business longevity of TBs, which is of significant concern (Becken et al, ):

But for Hurricane Ivan it was really‐really hard and it was a wakeup call for us because every time we say a hurricane is coming we say, well God is a Grenadian and it wouldn't come but, when it did hit, I don't think we were prepared and now that we're; after the hurricane we have put everything in place, so if a hurricane comes now we're prepared. (TB5)

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“…This notwithstanding, Caribbean tourism has been reactive to disaster management plans and procedures (Wilkinson et al, ). To enhance disaster resilience of specific Caribbean destinations and the tourism industries within, tourism stakeholders should more actively embrace disaster management practices and closely integrate them into the destination management agenda (Becken et al, ). The literature on building resilience of tourism enterprises to natural disasters in the context of destination management is still in its infancy and focusses on the countries in Southeast Asia given that these represent the emerging markets of tourist supply and demand (Hamzah & Hampton, ).…”

Catalyst or Barrier? The Influence of Place Attachment on Perceived Community Resilience in Tourism Destinations

“…However, a body of more general research on the influential factors of resilience in other types of communities has developed and offers a number of useful insights. Four categories of factors are considered likely to impact community resilience, including economic factors (e.g., wealth production capacity, access to credit, diversification of the local economy, and business size), institutional factors (e.g., leadership and governance processes), physical and geographical conditions (e.g., infrastructure and proximity to disaster-prone areas), and social factors (e.g., social capital, social networks, and place attachment) [19][20][21]. There is an urgent need for systematic research to analyze the influence of social factors on community resilience.…”

Um estudo sobre as atividades turísticas em seis ilhas brasileiras

“…O turismo é uma atividade constantemente influenciada pelas mudanças climáticas nas ilhas, principalmente, pelo fato dos empreendimentos turísticos estarem localizados nas zonas costeiras e dependerem dos recursos marinhos para suas atividades (ex: mergulho) e, portanto, são altamente vulneráveis aos riscos (Becken, Mahon, Rennie, & Shakeela, 2014).…”