A review of research on tourism risk,crisis and disaster management: Launching the annals of tourism research curated collection on tourism risk,crisis and disaster management

This article reviews 142 papers published between 1960 and 2018 on tourism risk, crisis and disaster management. The article (1) takes a thematic approach to synthesise past research focus and identifies gaps, (2) examines research methodologies employed, and (3) suggests future research and methodological approaches to help progress the field. The article also launches the Annals of Tourism Research Curated Collection on tourism risk, crisis and disaster management, which contains past and hot off the press work on the topic and will continue to grow as new articles on the topic appear in Annals.     

An earthquake disaster management mechanism based on risk assessment information for the tourism industry-a case study from the island of Taiwan

Although progress has been made in assessing risks in Taiwan, there remains a need to undertake risk assessment for the Taiwanese tourism industry. Although the conventional rules of thumb usually adopted by the insurance industry for damage assessment may be adequate in normal circumstances, this is not feasible for rare incidents for which there is very little reference material. One such example is earthquake damage. The average period of occurrence of major earthquake in Taiwan is about a hundred years, which makes it impossible to precisely assess average losses. In addition, earthquakes are not like some disasters (such as typhoons or epidemics) for which one can receive early warning. Thus, in this study, we seek to provide a practical mechanism for earthquake disaster risk assessment and management for the tourism industry, focusing on insurance and prevention. The primary objective is to integrate the relevant earth sciences, engineering and insurance data with the concepts of disaster risk management, taking into consideration the characteristics and sources of earthquake-related risks. In short, we develop an earthquake disaster assessment model to apply to risk management in the tourism industry. The practicality of the model is demonstrated with some examples related to the hotel industry in Hualien, Taiwan, an area plagued by frequent earthquakes. The results clearly show the efficacy of the proposed disaster assessment models for the tourism industry.     

Cognition of disaster risk in a tourism community: an agricultural heritage system perspective

Cognition of risk is the first step in reducing disaster damage and losses. In this study, risk cognition in the Hani Rice Terraces, the core tourism attraction in Yuanyang County, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan, China, is analyzed based on field survey and participatory geographic information system (GIS). The results show that tourism communities have cognition of risk; are more sensitive to hazards (especially drought); have more severe potential damage and losses from hazards; and also have more enthusiasm to adapt to disaster risk, when compared with a non-tourism community. On disaster vulnerability maps, the tourism communities identified the unique “Forest – Village – Terrace - River” landscape while the non-tourism community only recognized the terrace and the village as the main elements affected by hazard. Also, the tourism communities had deeper understandings of drought, flash floods and landslide disaster risks. A conceptual model based on “Pressure – State – Response” relationships is put forward to explore the situation in which, in the tourism community, terraces have a greater variety of functions and enhanced values resulting in the spatial expansion of hazard effects.     

The establishment of a rapid natural disaster risk assessment model for the tourism industry

At the current time, the Taiwan government is aggressively promoting projects, such as the so-called “Double Tourist Plan”, designed to encourage the development of the sightseeing related business. Operators in the tourist industry hope to construct facilities at or near scenic areas, which, given their special geography, are often adjacent to the mountains or the ocean. Unfortunately these are also the areas that most often experience natural disasters. This has a negative impact on the tourism industry. The centralization of tourist facilities, leading to the gathering of large numbers of visitors during the holiday seasons, can place people in danger. In other words, tourism operators in the Taiwan region face a high risk of natural disasters. It is difficult to assess such risks. Most of the existing models for catastrophe risk assessment consume huge amounts of time and are costly to use, so are more commonly applied for assessment at high-value facilities (such science-based industrial parks), rather than by the tourism industry, where economic factors are of greater concern. It is necessary to develop a simple and rapid assessment method that will allow ordinary business owners to carry out comprehensive risk analysis of tourist facilities. Thus, in this study, we explore various theories related to different kinds of natural disaster risk analysis mechanisms, with the goal of establishing a rapid risk assessment model suited to the tourism industry that can be used to quickly analyze disaster-forming characteristics and risk weaknesses in local regions. Furthermore, we incorporate an expert weighting process for assigning weightings for natural disaster risk index assessment. This method can help tourism asset owners prepare for the worst, and be capable of responding appropriately if and when such an event occurs. Good planning can effectively reduce the loss and risks associated with natural disasters and allow recovery work to commence sooner.     

A management approach to hospitality and tourism education

Due to changes in ownership and customer demand, it is argued that a change of direction is needed in the traditional hotel school programme. It is envisaged that more specialization is required to meet an expected change in industry organization. Career paths are anticipated to follow these specializations in control, food and beverages, sales and rooms and by progress from small unit to company operation. A major consequence of this makes a more extensive study of travel and tourism essential since this is the context of major service industry operation.     

Environmental impact management of ship based tourism to Antarctica

Tourist visits and landings on the ice free areas of Antarctica is the most recent large scale human activity on this continent. More than 98 per cent of tourists visit by cruiseship, which means less than two per cent of tourism is land based. Environmental impacts are generally transient with pressure placed on repeatedly visited shore based attractions. This article investigates the effects of tourism on the environment in Antarctica, legislation as well as liability issues and how they are being managed.     

A management orientated approach to combination forecasting of tourism demand

Volatility, exponential smoothing, regression and Naïve 2 models are considered singly and in combination in terms of forecasting demand for international tourism. These models generate accurate predictions of tourism flows, but their prime utility is when combined with other models. Usually, models are combined by means of purely statistical criteria. We show that goal programming (GP) offers an alternative, flexible approach to model combination. GP offers planners a practical solution to tourism forecasting problems, since the method is more adaptable than conventional minimisation of prediction error, by permitting practitioners to prioritise a series of management related goals. Forecasters can focus on longer- and short-term goals, minimising forecast under- and over-estimation and/or concentrate on prediction errors in tourism flows at various times of the year.     

Public-private collaboration for disaster risk management: A case study of hotels in Matsushima,Japan

This research paper focuses on public-private collaboration for disaster risk management in coastal destinations, particularly between the hotel industry and local government. To guide its research, this paper applies collaborative planning theory in developing a research framework to discover gaps between stakeholders attitudes towards collaboration, its outcomes, and obstacles preventing the adoption of specific hotel-based disaster management actions. A case study is used on Matsushima, Japan, a popular coastal destination in the Tohoku Region, which was devastated by the 2011 tsunami. Through surveys and interviews, this study found that hotels can play a key role in working together with the local government towards disaster risk management of coastal destinations. However collaboration gaps between the stakeholders limited the extent of the adoption of hotel-based disaster risk management initiatives.     

An exploratory inquiry into destination risk perceptions and risk reduction strategies of first time vs. repeat visitors to a highly volatile destination

The paper examines the relationships between first-time vs. repeat visitors to a highly volatile destination in terms of destination risk perceptions, risk reduction strategies and motivation for the visit. The exploratory research question centers on possible differences in tourist behavioral profiles associated with their decision to visit a foreign destination again. Set in Israel, a highly volatile tourist destination, researchers interviewed 760 international tourists using a questionnaire classifying them as either first-time or repeat visitors. Discriminant analysis revealed that first-time visitors were characterized by human-induced risk, socio-psychological risk, food safety and weather risk. In contrast, repeat visitors were associated with the destination risk factors of financial risk, service quality risk, natural disasters and car accidents. First-time vs. repeat visitors were also compared and contrasted in terms of risk reduction strategies such as consulting with people who had previously visited specific destinations and gathering information from travel agents. Differences between first-time and repeat visitors were also found regarding motivations for the visit. Similar analyses were conducted on the three sub-groups of repeat visitors, classified in terms of number of visits.     

A rapid assessment of wildlife tourism risk posed to cetaceans in Asia

Dolphin-watching tourism is growing globally. In developing countries, the typically low environmental awareness of operators and poorly enforced or non-existent regulations exacerbate risks to wildlife. Ecological indicators like behavioural responses are useful to assess wildlife tourism, but obtaining such data is slow and expensive. We modified the Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework to rapidly assess the risk of dolphin-watching tourism harming, displacing or causing local extinction to dolphin populations, using human dimension data to complement limited ecological data. We assessed industries at seven dolphin-watching sites in six countries in Asia: Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. All sites have reached or almost reached financial saturation except Cambodia and Malaysia. We find high risk to dolphins at the sites in India and Indonesia and intermediate risk at the site in Cambodia. Pending more ecological data, the risk at Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysian sites might be low. Our analysis also indicates site-specific conservation recommendations for Driver, Pressure and Response. We suggest that the DPSIR framework is useful to assess the risk of a wildlife watching industry, even when the impact is uncertain due to insufficient ecological data.     

How to enhance the image of edible insect restaurants: Focusing on perceived risk theory

Although edible insects are getting attention all over the world, consumers are still reluctant to visit edible insect restaurants. Thus, the objective of this research is to explore what risks customers perceive in edible insect restaurants and how those risks affect the image of edible insect restaurants. More specifically, First, the results of principal components analysis showed that 21 perceived risk items were divided into seven factors: quality, psychological, health, financial, environmental, time-loss, and social risks. Second, five sub-dimensions of perceived risk had a negative effect on image, with the exception of financial and environmental risks. Lastly, image was found to increase intention to use, word-of-mouth intention, and willingness to pay more.     

Integrating agroecology and sustainable tourism: applying geodesign to farm management in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori land is frequently owned by local communities and managed by trusts. For such arrangements on rural holdings, land managers often wish both to provide for their communities and implement agricultural management practices in a culturally responsive manner. Agroecology offers an alternative model of land management and provides opportunities for the development of visitor programmes to learn about and observe traditional practices. This paper reports on the integration of agroecology and tourism on a working farm in Te Wai Pounamu South Island, Aotearoa New Zealand. The programme successfully applied spatial analysis in a geographical information system (GIS) within an iterative geodesign framework to plan a route for visitor access across the farm, with suitable areas identified for information platforms located strategically along the way. These agritourism related features were visually communicated through maps generated by the GIS. Such visualisation makes the possible consequences of change more accessible and understandable to decision makers. As well as satisfying the need to verify the approach empirically, there are plans underway to apply GIS in this way to other similarly managed farms in Aotearoa New Zealand.

• Highlights:

• Iterative geodesign approach used to evolve sites for access paths and information platforms

• Approach is of public interest, hence the need for planning farm access facilities for tourists

• Agroecology-based plan for managing a traditionally run farm in Aotearoa New Zealand

• Local cultural values addressed by GIS for positive environmental and economic impact

     

Chaos, crises and disasters: a strategic approach to crisis management in the tourism industry

This paper outlines and discusses a strategic and holistic approach to crisis management for the tourism industry. It notes the growing importance of crisis and disaster management for the tourism industry before exploring the definitions and nature of crises and disasters. The paper then proposes a strategic approach to their management from proactive pre-crisis planning through strategic implementation and finally evaluation and feedback. A discussion of crisis and disaster management literature and studies conducted in the tourism field are also introduced. It notes that although crises and disasters cannot be stopped their impacts can be limited by both public and private sector managers. The paper concludes that the understanding and subsequent management of such incidents can be vastly improved through the extension and application of crisis and disaster management theory and concepts from other disciplines, coupled with the development of specific tourism crisis management research and frameworks.     

Mapping time series into networks as a tool to assess the complex dynamics of tourism systems

This paper contributes to filling two gaps: i) the presence of a limited amount of studies focused on tourism demand turning points, ii) the prevalent recourse to linear models in demand analysis, disregarding the complex structure of tourism destinations. The paper uses the Horizontal Visibility Graph Algorithm, a technique able to transform a time series of observations into a network whose topology preserves some fundamental characteristics of the system examined. The empirical work focuses on Livigno, an Italian alpine destination.Findings reveal four turning points in the last 50 years; these changes are built around shifts in the origin market segments. The network's degree distribution confirms the complex structure of the destination and reconfirms the importance of non-linear models and methods for the analysis of tourism demand.     

Sustainable tourism and the management of nearshore coastal places: place attachment and disruption to surf-spots

Surfing, a dominant recreational activity in many coastal areas, is a primary driver of local and international tourism. Surf-spots, nearshore oceanic locations where waves break and surfing occurs, are essential community resources. Yet, many surf-spots are at risk of degradation from climate change and other factors. Knowing whether and why surfers consider surf-spots as meaningful places can inform sustainable management of these resources, benefitting the environment and users alike. This study examines place attachment and disruption in relation to surf-spots through an online survey of 1055 surfers in California, where surfing is an important recreational and touristic industry. Our findings suggest that surfers exhibit high fidelity to specific surf-spots and develop deep attachments to those spots, with the strength of the attachment varying depending on the type of surf-spot. Some respondents consider surf-spots to be “part of their family”; few respondents describe no attachments. We conclude that, despite being dynamic oceanic locations, surf-spots are meaningful places for surfers. This importance, combined with the value of surf-spots as resources driving coastal tourism and recreation, warrants systematic consideration of surf-spots as natural resources by managers, and suggests that user–place attachment should be better understood at surf-spots and other tourism sites.     

Mapping the progress of social media research in hospitality and tourism management from 2004 to 2014

ABSTRACT

One hundred and five articles on social media in hospitality and tourism during 2004–2014 were identified from three databases and seven journals. Seven dimensions were used for analysis. Results indicated that social media research in hospitality and tourism is in its early stages with two turning points. The number of articles rose dramatically in 2010 and unexpectedly dropped in 2014. Research gaps are apparent in several industry sectors in topics beyond online reviews and in research methods, where literature reviews suffer from small numbers and few prominent researchers. Implications and future research directions are also discussed.     

Introduction to the special issue: Consumer experience management and customer journeys in tourism,hospitality and events

This special edition focuses on “Consumer Experience Management and Customer Journeys in Tourism, Hospitality and Events”. This introduction considers current topics concerning researchers and practitioners about consumer journeys and experience management and introduces the six papers in the special issue. We would like to thank the authors and reviewers for this special issue.     

Estimating the recreational value of Pakistan's largest freshwater lake to support sustainable tourism management using a travel cost model

Keenjhar Lake, Pakistan's largest freshwater lake and an important Ramsar site, provides habitat for internationally important water birds. Annually, 385,000 people visit the lake. The lake is threatened by a variety of causes, including industrial and agricultural pollution. To support its sustainable management and conservation, the lake's recreational value is estimated using an individual travel cost model. Randomly selected visitors are interviewed during peak season about their recreational travel behavior and perception of lake conditions. Key issues in travel cost modeling are addressed, including the opportunity cost of time, group travel, substitution and income effects, and endogenous stratification and truncation due to on-site sampling. Poisson and negative binomial regression models produce similar results. We find significant over-dispersion, and therefore, use the more conservative truncated negative binomial model results to estimate consumer surplus. The value of this assessment method for resource managers is illustrated by comparing the consumer surplus with existing pricing and budgeting mechanisms. The annual flow of benefits from lake recreation appears to be almost 50 times higher than the average entrance fee paid by the predominantly higher-income segments visiting the lake, suggesting scope for increasing fees and reallocating government budgets to finance the necessary lake protection measures.