Can tourism help recovery after a disaster?

Travel

From wildfires in Hawaii to a devastating earthquake in Morocco, the impact of natural disasters has been a familiar fixture on the front pages of newspapers in 2023. Here’s how tourism can have a positive impact on the relief efforts afterwards.

ByConnor McGovern

Published October 16, 2023

• 9 min read

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

In the immediate aftermath of disaster, authorities and travel operators have to coordinate repatriations, evacuations and displaced communities quickly and safely, while reduced visitor numbers can have a crippling effect on local businesses. For many of these destinations, a reliance on tourism only adds to the complexity of their recovery efforts. But with the right mindset and action, travellers can, in fact, be a part of the solution.

“As anyone who’s been through it knows, the first 24 hours after a crisis is a time of shock,” says Olivia Cryer, co-founder of think tank The Conscious Travel Foundation. And while a desire to help is only natural, most governments suggest visitors leave the destination as a precaution.

“Tourists are only valuable on the ground if they’re qualified emergency responders and have means to provide their services,” she adds. “But if you’re staying, and it’s considered safe, show humility and compassion, and give your time to a local operation if they’re actively asking for volunteer support.”

Donating to both smaller NGOs and organisations such as the Red Cross, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and UNICEF is often the easiest and most effective way to help, whether in the destination or from home. Travellers yet to travel can speak with their trip provider to modify the itinerary, if possible, to avoid the worst-hit areas. This will still allow the wider destination to benefit from tourism at a time of need.

“Also ask your travel agent, operator or accommodation provider if they’re supporting any local projects,” says Cryer. “Ensuring mid- or long-term support will help prevent an economic crisis in the wake of a natural disaster.”

Hands-on help

As each disaster creates its own set of circumstances, there’s no single answer for when it’s safe to return. Authorities in Hawaii, for instance, discouraged travel to Maui immediately after the wildfires this summer, for fears of insensitivity. In southeast Turkey, thousands of aftershocks in the wake of February’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake heightened the risk of travel within the region. But for the destination, Cryer believes it’s most beneficial for travellers to visit as soon as it’s safe and legal to do so.

“It’s important to keep the recovery curve for the destination as short as possible,” she says. “Travellers should speak to their travel agent or to the property directly to understand if it’s appropriate to continue with their travel plans or to postpone to a later date.”

Travellers can get involved once they arrive: companies like Responsible Travel offer trips with hands-on volunteering included, such as a 12-day trip to Nepal with time spent assisting communities affected by the 2015 earthquake. Those with more time can join organised volunteering efforts, such as those by All Hands and Hearts. The volunteer-powered nonprofit’s programmes in areas such as storm-damaged Florida and the Philippines don’t require a minimum time commitment.

Volunteering isn’t the only way travellers can help, either. Visiting out of the usual season and making a real effort to use locally run businesses allows expenditure to be distributed more widely — particularly after a challenging period. Wineries in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, for instance, are popular with both Canadian and international tourists in the summer months, but saw a drop-off in visitor numbers due to smoke from nearby wildfires this season.

“We’re looking at a really nice fall from what the long-term forecast says, so we’d definitely encourage people to come and visit us then instead,” said David Paterson from Tantalus Wines. “We’re going to need that support, and buying local is more important than ever.”

(How can tourists help Maui recover? Here’s what locals say.)

Awareness is key 

While attention is rightly on the affected area at a time of crisis, emotive coverage on news and social media can leave lasting impressions in tourists’ minds. This can have real consequences for areas in the rest of the destinations still deemed safe for tourists.

In the months after the 2019 bushfires in southeast Australia, more than 60% of accommodation bookings in areas unaffected by the fires were cancelled. Similarly, two months after February’s earthquake in Turkey and Syria, stays of two nights or more in Istanbul were down by 31% compared to 2019, even though the city lies over 500 miles from the epicentre.

“Accurate and up-to-date information is key,” says Paul Charles, founder of travel consultancy The PC Agency. “Travel to Morocco, for example, is still safe and very possible, and official advice hasn’t changed. Despite the tragedy, the country will still offer as vibrant and exciting an experience as always,” he adds.

As recovery continues in the country’s south, Morocco will be keen to show the world that it is still open for business. Airports are operating as normal, and the northern cities of Tangier, Chefchaouen and Fez — all popular with tourists — are unharmed. After all, those reassurances are important: according to a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council in 2018, “public perceptions of safety and attractiveness following a disaster [are] crucial to attract and reassure potential visitors”.

New opportunities

In 2021, a volcanic eruption on the Spanish island of La Palma triggered an evacuation of thousands of residents. The west of the island was completely changed: a four-mile-long lava flow wiped entire towns from the map and created a new peninsula as it ran into the Atlantic.

“We know that since the eruption, which impacted around 10% of the island’s landmass, visitors have come to observe the transformation,” said a spokesperson from the island’s tourism board.

In this case, the aftermath has become a part of the attraction. Since 2021, two new roads have been constructed between the south and west of the island, while local tour operators have begun running popular, volcano-focused tours. New viewing points, meanwhile, offer visitors and locals alike the chance to view the geological impact of the eruption. It’s hoped the new experiences will offer more opportunities for this small, lesser-known Canary Island.

“Despite the emotional impact [of the eruption], tourism is an important part of our economy, and we know this geographical transformation will continue to attract visitors and the scientific community for years to come,” said the spokesperson.

Similarly, in the Indonesian province of Aceh, one of the worst-hit areas of the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, local authorities have used tourism as a way of diversifying the post-disaster economy. Attractions such as the Aceh Tsunami Memorial Museum, the Tsunami Educational Park and the Aceh Thanks the World Memorial Park now draw local and international visitors, as well as provide places of recreation, employment and contemplation for residents.

For some tourists, however, the line between intruding on grief and supporting recovery may be uncomfortably blurred. But Cryer believes a sense of responsibility can go a long way.

“Today’s news cycle is short, and in a year of unprecedented natural disasters, it’s easy to forget about who’s suffered,” she says. “But tourism has the power to connect communities around the world. It should benefit the visited as much as the visitor — and be a force for good.”

(What to do if you’re caught in a disaster while travelling.)

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