PROFESSIONAL/ Tourism in Times of Catastrophes

Tourism is prone to both natural and manmade disasters. Many of these disasters are related to the world of crime and terrorism; others are due to our lack of planning or our refusal to take weather conditions into account. These latter are often called “natural disasters” or “acts of God.” Neither term is accurate. Most so-called natural disasters are fairly predictable. For example, if a tourism destination is located in a hurricane zone, then it ought to take precautions knowing that at some...

Only few months after the devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake leveled much of the scenic island of Bohol in the Philippines last October, there is growing optimism among local officials and the business community that believes that the local tourism industry will not only recover but will reach new heights of economic success. The church across the scenic Loboc River is in ruins and half the roof of the river's docking port is gone. Sections along the river showed some terrain landslides. But ...

The concept of “dark tourism”, also known as disaster tourism, really is ghoulish fad – with its focus on recent disaster zones and the chance for firsthand experience of the devastation and anguish of those that still suffer from the repercussions – but it is the field that is increasingly popular with tourists and generates an interesting mixed reaction from locals. This style of tourism is one that can take visitors with a morbid curiosity anywhere that the forces of nature dare to strike – ...

In 2004, on the Boxing Day, several parts along the coast of the Indian Ocean were devastated by a mammoth tsunami. Khao Lak, a sleepy resort in Thailand with beachfront, was one of the worst hit areas. The coastal topography of Khao Lak and its deep beaches and the fact that a major part of the flatland was above the sea level by only a few meters were cited as the key reasons for its devastation. The accommodation that was available in this resort consisted of low-rise as well as single build...