Tourists, tourism destinations and natural hazards

Abstract

Tourism is an integral part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy. As a country highly exposed to natural hazards, we need to understand the exposure of our tourism destinations and tourists to disaster risk. We also need to examine how we communicate risk to international and domestic tourists, and the suitability of current emergency management processes and systems in responding to the needs of tourists in times of disaster.

This brief is designed primarily for policy analysts with a secondary audience of those working in regional tourism organisations and other tourism bodies. The brief synthesises multi-disciplinary research from the Resilience to Nature’s Challenges National Science Challenge and draws on learnings from disasters over the last 14 years, from the Christchurch earthquakes to the impacts of COVID. The brief examines preparedness for a disaster alongside post-disaster response and recovery. It details key findings, suggests possible actions to improve outcomes, provides illustrative case studies and identifies where more research is needed.