Earthquakes rocked Japan thrice over the past several days: one on the morning of Thursday, 25th June; a second on the evening of Friday, 26th June, and a third at around sunrise yesterday, 28th June.
Japan is not, of course, the only country that needed to deal with powerful tremors last week: the Southern Philippines were hit by yet another quake, just three weeks after a powerful quake shook Saranggani Province; and rescue and recovery is presently ongoing in Venezuela following the lethal twin tremors that struck last week.
Natural calamities happen and, even with the latest technologies, there is no way to predict when and where they will occur, let alone how powerful and destructive they will be.
At the same time, climate change has become a wildcard player, with intense shifts in environmental health leading to more brutal weather phenomena: harsher El Nino and La Nina periods, as well as stronger storms and prolonged drought.
As a result, tourism boards throughout the globe, but most especially from countries on the Pacific Ring of Fire, are scrambling to see how they can prepare better for such events and how they can improve the speed and quality of post-catastrophe recovery.
A 2024 study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) described the situation as such:
“Climate change poses significant interconnected threats to tourism, health, and economic stability across Asia and the Pacific. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events are damaging key tourist attractions while also increasing health risks for both visitors and residents.”
Within this context, we see how coastal developments, specifically resorts and maritime attractions, now face the danger of being swamped under by rising sea levels.
At the same time, rising temperatures trigger a range of health hazards, including non-communicable diseases, among both tourists and host communities.
Not everyone is prepared
Despite this grim reality, tourism boards throughout the Ring of Fire show varying levels of preparedness.
Most, especially in earthquake-prone Japan and the Philippines which too often finds itself in the path of a seasonal storm, have excelled at post-catastrophic recovery, bouncing back to welcome foreign travellers following a major occurrence.
However, many countries within the Asia Pacific have yet to come up with a proactive resilience programme that minimises the impact of major calamities on key tourist destinations.
Indeed, while countries whose economies rely substantially on tourism like Thailand have begun to make integrated (preventive and reparative) solutions a priority, most are still struggling with structural vulnerabilities and bureaucratic issues which force them to stick with reactive measures in the event of an emergency.
What can be done
Following the pandemic, possibly one of the most devastating catastrophes in human history, the ADB came up with Sovereign Project 54420-001 titled Strengthening Multisector Technical Capacity to Respond to COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific through Tourism.
While this was specifically directed at regional recovery from the pandemic, there are five key measures that may also apply to preparation against and response to natural calamities.
Policy and guidelines across the board
First, national governments need to develop overarching tourism policies and guidelines that prioritise health, safety, climate change mitigation, and adaptation.
By doing so, nations will be able to build a framework for a sustainable and resilient future for their respective tourism industries.
Second, governments and related private entities must address shared hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities across tourism, health, and climate change sectors.
Such multi-sectoral action is meant to strengthen resilience and adaptability within the tourism sector.
Related initiatives include multisectoral coordination and collaboration to support host communities' capacity and resilience, fostering inclusive partnerships, as well as knowledge sharing for a stronger, united approach.
Improved surveillance and vigilance are key
Third, there is an obvious need to enhance tourism surveillance whilst ensuring interoperability with health information systems and early warning systems.
Enhanced surveillance ensures rapid and timely appropriate responses to traveler-related diseases, disease outbreaks, extreme weather events, and disasters.
For this to be effective, however, all stakeholders need innovative digital tools specifically for the use of tourism professionals, as well as those in related sectors,
Fourth, there is a need to develop and implement capacity-building programmes to improve planning, monitoring, and coordination within the tourism sector.
Such initiatives also involve the promotion of sustainable business practices and climate-smart models to protect the workforce and ensure sector resilience.
Reopening borders safely
Finally, and most importantly, studies regarding safe ways to restart or reopen tourism activity following a disaster need to be conducted regularly.
This must be done concurrently with the development and promotion of long-term strategies for destination resilience, sustained recovery, as well as sustainable growth in response to calamities, whether these are natural or man-made.
Such measures include ensuring adequate disaster management, risk reduction, and healthcare facilities and services to address any incidents impacting travellers and locals alike.
