Impacts of natural disasters on tourism - Research Paper Example

?Running Head: Proposal on Impact of Natural Disaster Proposal on Impact of Natural Disaster [Institute’s Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Background 4 Context of Study 5 Aim and Objectives 6 Research Questions identified 6 Research Aim and Research objectives 7 Literature Review 7 Overview of the themes, issues, theories and/or concepts 7 Economic Impact of Natural Disaster on Tourism 9 Environmental Impact of Natural Disaster on Tourism 10 Research Methodology 11 Introduction 11 Research Design 11 Data Collection Techniques 12 Data Analysis and/ or Data Interpretation Processes 13 Proposal Summary 14 Main Research Philosophy and Approaches 14 Ethical Considerations 14 References 15 Introduction The following proposal intends to design and compose a deep analysis about the impact of natural disasters on tourism. Natural disaster is a calamity that is not the outcome of activities or actions performed by human beings; rather, it occurs naturally. In other words, they are the sudden events and hazards caused by environmental factors. Quite a few of the natural disasters include floods, volcanic eruptions, volcanic mudslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, blizzards, drought, hurricanes, tropical storms, typhoons, tornadoes, ice storms, heat waves, avalanches, landslides, forest fires, electrical storms and several others (Stoltman, Lidstone, & Dechano, 2004). These natural disasters have come under two broad categories: climatic disasters and geologic disasters. The climatic disasters are the result of atmospheric or environmental incidents such as floods, hurricanes, and droughts that affects nations on a large scale. While on the other hand, the geologic disasters are the consequence of geological changes in the earth. Earthquakes and volcanoes are few of the major geologic disasters that make a direct effect on to the economies of the countries and tend to cause less physical damage in comparison. Furthermore, they provoke and trigger other disasters such as landslides, tsunamis and many others (Stoltman, Lidstone, & Dechano, 2004). Whilst the tourism is, either the temporary visit of the people to another region domestically or to another country that last for more than twenty-four hours. The visit types include holidays, sports, education religion, business, and visits to family and friends (Trotman Publishing, 2000). This proposal is a combined study that incorporates the aims and objectives that would be the basis for the research studies, discussion of relevant literature review of the concerned topic coupled to the overview of the themes, issues, theories, and/or concepts. The research methodology that comprises of the introduction with rationale for the research design and data collection methods is also an integral part of the proposal that ends with the research philosophy and approaches with ethical considerations as a conclusion. Background The natural disasters are the profound environmental impacts that not only bring huge losses to human lives but also subject to arouse immense financial losses such as property damage. In addition, the aftereffects of the natural disasters emerge the fact that underdeveloped nations are the worst hits of the natural adversities as they have the least resources to cope and recreate their lives back to originality (Mechler, 2004). The natural disasters have been one of the most unfavorable and devastating episodes have come under the experiences by the human kind of the globe in numerous instances in time. The statistical data and evidences have proved the fact that the natural disasters have made a strong influence and tragic impact on the civilizations around the world. In addition, plentiful states, territories, nations coupled to populace of the particular areas cause to undergo recurring and overwhelming natural disasters as the world in entering into the level of advancements and innovations. The natural disasters have not only affected the human lives but also made the coral reefs, tropical ecosystem, aquatic temperate climate and terrestrial or global ecosystem fragile and weak (Mechler, 2004). Tourism industry is one of the departments of the country that comes under mammoth impact from the natural disasters. Indeed, there is a very close connection between tourism and natural disasters. This is because the occurrence of any natural hazard would lead to disruption and destruction of the tourism industry, which would then require re-development and modifications. Moreover, the tourism is one of the considerable facets for the economy of any country. However, the massive effect is equivalent to the negative multiplier effect that influences through the economical sector as well (Gossling & Hall, 2006). The tourism activities have come under several groupings. The major groups include coastal tourism characteristically refers to the places such as islands and seafront areas. Tourism also refers to places, that are natural and historically heritage is another prime group of tourism. Marine tourism engages activities like yachting, diving, sport fishing, and touring on small sails or motor-powered vessels. While other groups include Cruise tourism, business travel and family trips to visit friends and relatives (Gossling & Hall, 2006). Context of Study It is imperative to act in response and take actions to the environmental impacts of the natural disasters in order to save the human societies, natural ecosystems and most importantly the tourism industry from long-term enduring dilapidations. This is because the natural disasters have the inclination to consequence in instantaneous threats to the inhabitants of the nations and bring permanent and undeviating damage to the ecology of the soil that serves a momentum or energy from dreadful conditions. The outcome of these disasters effects in depressing and harmful manner that leaves an ineradicable imprint on to the quality of the life of the residents of the countries under effect (Nwanna, 2004). However, education and awareness has been one of the prime factors that can alleviate the effects of such misfortunes. According to the press release of the year 2005, the Director, General Koichiro Matsuura of UNESCO states that “Anticipating, educating and informing are the keys to reducing the deadly effect of such natural disasters. Unfortunately, such activities have not been given priority” (UNESCO, 2005). Aim and Objectives While looking at the tourism industry, the natural disasters leave both a positive and a negative impact, which would come under consideration from the assessment in the research. However, the principal and leading aims and queries that arise from such a matter of concern comes under elucidation in the below section. This would provide the researcher a base for their further studies and investigations that can help them determine the actual cause and reasons behind it. Research Questions identified The following are few of the questions that would prove to be integral part in the research study to classify the impact of natural hazards on tourism: Were you aware of the episode of the natural disaster? If yes, what was the source of awareness? What kind of impact you think that the natural disaster had on the local community and the business? In comparison to other industries, how equipped is the tourism industry from natural disasters? Should the tourism industry conduct the recovery marketing? If yes, how and when How the message should needs to come under communication to the visitors during a disaster? Research Aim and Research objectives From this understanding of process of natural disasters, the researcher identifies quite a few aims and objectives that will enable a vital, apparent, and widespread understanding of the natural disasters and its impact on various elements. In meticulous, the primary aims and objectives of this research embrace: To discover the diverse and different types of natural disasters To classify the trends and occurrence of the natural disasters To identify the impact of natural disasters on tourism To identify the sectors on which the natural disasters leave an impact on tourism Literature Review Overview of the themes, issues, theories and/or concepts The historical evidences have elucidated that the natural disasters have played a significant role not only in the past but the contemporary world is also under its drastic impacts. The records proof that the different and diverse types of natural disasters have charged countries millions and billions of dollars in damage and killed and injured thousands of people on annual basis. Additionally, the human behavior, the standard way of living, and how the humans respond to the environment have come under influence, shaping, and modification by the natural hazards (Hyndman & Hyndman, 2010). The natural hazards are so intense that they can even bring society-wide or universal crisis as it tears down numerously diverse forms of institutions promptly, without any delays. The macro economic variables and socio economic variables come under mammoth effect from the outcome of natural disasters. In addition, these macro and socio economic factors comes under direct relation to the increase and decrease of economic growth for the country, therefore, it is essential that the response and recovery following disaster come under execution (Hochrainer, 2006). Empirical studies indicate that natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and relevant others come under the category of sudden-onset disasters, which largely destroys the useful and prolific wealth like infrastructure of the country. In addition, it even damages the resources of production and stocks as well. Whilst the slow-onset disasters for instance floods and droughts are more cataclysmic, whose impact is usually more far-reaching. The reason is simple that the savings and investments come under deterioration on a longer term. However, the compound disasters refer to incidents as volcanic eruptions have ingredients of both sudden-onset and slow-onset disaster where the risk interval can last for scores of years. Moreover, the individual incidents can cause more instant and focused fatal damage for the neighboring land and people (Hochrainer, 2006). The physical or the social impact is the most commonly recorded impacts as an outcome of a natural hazard. This includes loss of human life or the number of deaths, injury, health hardship, homelessness, and interruption of societies that is the financial cost of the damage. However, the extent of the disaster and its effect on human activity can come under identification with the assessment of the number of people affected that is the summarized form of people injured and made homeless. Additionally, the deaths reveal the fact about the severity of the hazards (National Research Council (U.S.) Committee on Assessing the Costs of Natural Disasters, 1999). Following are a number of themes and issues that comes under deep impact on tourism department of any country from the happening of any of the natural accident or disaster. Economic Impact of Natural Disaster on Tourism The tourism industry is one of the industries that profoundly come under the effect of natural disaster in the modern world, which is one of the major stem of economies for several kingdoms. This is due to the reason that natural wonders are one of the major sources of attraction for the tourists due to which the tourism department comes under agony with the natural disasters. It has come under surveillance that in the same way that the nature changes the landscapes of the lives of the people that include the tourists, the diverse sorts of natural disasters drastically alter the natural environment that leads a distressing impact on to the people as well (Benson & Clay, 2004). Methodologies in general states that direct losses incurred due to the disaster lead to indirect loss that recapitulate from the decline in the number of tourist visiting the affected area by the natural disaster. This decrease the money that the country spends in the area due to lack of visitors that greatly affects the economy of the country, particularly where the state heavily depends upon the tourism industry. In due course, this also influences the business that suffers from lack of money generated through tourism, and thus leading to closure or decline of such businesses that would lead to other indirect losses that is unemployment (United Nations, 2011). Besides, the social costs that constitute health impacts, re-settlement, and others also increases that in due course would have an effect on the economy of the realm. It has also been a point of notice that natural mishaps have potential to bring inflation in the economy of any state with their capacity to disrupt the elements of the market economy that is production, distribution, marketing, and consumption (Benson & Clay, 2004). Environmental Impact of Natural Disaster on Tourism Natural disasters have always been a part of human lives even before the industrialization of the modern world, however, with the development of the industrial activities and modernization, plentiful of natural disasters have ascended in its intensity and rate of recurrence as well. The contingency analysis signifies that environmental damage can vary as it can only have small aftereffects like felling of trees that can turn to aftershocks like reformation of the entire landscapes. The storms that are one of the types of natural disasters that washes and blows away the top soil, decrease the soil fertility and thus eventually outcomes to unhorse and collapse the forest and agricultural yields. The natural disasters also lead to the death of livestock and crops destruction (Rosen, 2000). According to some schools of thoughts, the natural disasters tend to decrease the long-term growth by destroying agriculture, fishing, and other natural resources on a permanent and irretrievable basis. On the contrary, an assortment of resources divulges the piece of information that natural disasters do not only affect the natural resources in a negative manner, rather it leaves a positive impact as well. For instance, the ashes that volcanic eruptions deposit enables in enriching the agricultural soils (Rosen, 2000). In the context of tourism, it can come under well expression that natural disasters can prove to be a source of attraction for the tourist as well that increase the tourism. In a quite strange way, few of the places affected by natural disaster can become hot precincts for the tourists as a place to visit. This is because, the visitors are also interested in visiting the places that often become educational and historical places and lots of people stopover as complete holidays, or even as a part of another holiday in a neighboring area (Rosen, 2000). Research Methodology Introduction The research methodology that would come under exercise by the researcher as a systematic approach would be a synthesis of both primary and secondary approach, as the aim of the study has come under extreme planning. As the fundamental objective of the study is to identify the impact of natural disasters predominantly on tourism, hence, both types of data collection methods are indispensible that would facilitate in acquiring the most accurate data from the specified region and the target audience. The research methodology lays key emphasis on how the complete and comprehensive raw data would come under compilation after collection for further analyses to have it in a form of valuable information that can draw the conclusions according to the aims and objectives of the study. The selection in an accurate data collection method is the chief component to gather the appropriate information. After having a glance at the aims, the data collection would engage both primary and secondary research for the most precise and exact data (Cooper & Hedges & Valentine, 2009). Research Design The research design can also come under the reference as a blueprint of the research that oversees problems that entail the relevancy of the data, queries to come under resolve, data collection, and analysis of the gathered information. The research would follow qualitative collection methods as it provides with flexible approach during data collection. Essentially, qualitative research involves an interpretative and naturalistic approach to its subject matter that is required for such kind of studies. The target audience would be the domestic and foreign tourist, the managers or owners of restaurants and hotels and tourism guides. Data Collection Techniques Primary Research The primary research involves the data collection regarding the impact of the natural disasters on tourism directly from the target audiences. The types of primary data collection method would encompass: Personal Observation: The trained observer or the electric equipment such as camera would examine or monitor the target audience in the personal observation method. This method intends to observe the responses, and reactions of the respondents with respect to the impact of the hazards. Personal Interviews: Having a personal or face-to-face interaction with the target audience would lead to the exact responses and reactions that they have regarding the impact that natural disaster leaves on the tourism of any country. However, one of the limitations of the data gathered from this type of research is the time involved in it. The observations and interviews may take a lot of time, as it is a complex process to have an interview. The designing of the questionnaire is also a difficult job because it is important to cover all the relevant points in the best way possible (Surhone & Tennoe & Henssonow, 2010). Secondary Research The secondary research on the other hand is more a quantitative type of research that measures and assess for data conglomeration. The impact of natural disasters on tourism has come under numerous studies and investigations that are available on web sources and multiple database structures as well. Therefore, the secondary sources of data would come under the basis from published articles from journals, books and related studies on the impact of natural disasters and its implication to the tourism industry (Vartanian, 2010). One of the benefits that secondary research provides is that it saves a lot of time of the researcher, as the sources are present from before and substantial useful data can come under collection within couple of days by the analysts. In addition, it also saves the money on the collection of the data in comparison to the primary research (Vartanian, 2010). In contrary, it also has few loopholes and limitations as follows: The qualitative information is more complex to examine, for the reason that intellectual capacity and understanding of this qualitative information and its judgment principally depends on the awareness of the researcher analyzing it The data collection devices and procedures of data collection in predefined ways does not have any consistency or uniformity The respondents’ and the target audiences’ opinions and viewpoints are not the latest while collecting the data from the other sources. Data Analysis and/ or Data Interpretation Processes The unit of analysis of the data and its interpretation is a critical factor of the study. The researcher would collect the data from the observations and the interviews for evaluation. The statistical analysis of the gathered data can come under representation by the use of Microsoft Excel by tabulating the data and illustrating in a graph form for evaluation. Additionally, the software that is Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) is one of the available standard software for conducting the statistical analysis. Therefore, the researcher can make use of it for the analysis of the data posted in the Excel files (Bryman & Cramer, 2005). Proposal Summary Main Research Philosophy and Approaches The empirical and theoretical studies related to the natural disasters make drastic impacts on to the tourism of any country as the statistics have proved to be a mainstay for the economic development of abundant states around the world. In addition, the vulnerability of tourism to risk from natural disasters has been evident since time immemorial. Tourism should be given special attention especially on issues related to natural disasters, as it is one of the major contributors of the economy for a country. With the study of impact of natural disasters on tourism would lead to determine and formulate strategies to cope up and curtail the complexities brought by such disasters. Ethical Considerations The ethical considerations articulate that natural disasters are coming under the vision as a positive factor for the tourism department as the devastated areas by the natural disasters have now become the visit places that represent historical and educational forms of tourism. People are also so attracted to the area affected by the catastrophe due to its vast archaeological sites. People also view these destroyed places it would have been millions of years ago, which did not rebuild. Therefore, to put it briefly, the natural disasters in some way or the other are leaving a positive impact on to the economical conditions of the nations. References Benson, C. & Clay, E. J. (2004). Understanding the economic and financial impacts of natural disasters, Part 611. World Bank Publications. Bryman, A. & Cramer, D. (2005).Quantitative data analysis with SPSS 12 and 13: a guide for social scientists. Routledge. Cooper, H. M. & Hedges, L. V. & Valentine, J. C. (2009). The handbook of research synthesis and meta-analysis. Russell Sage Foundation. Gossling, S. & Hall, Colin Michael. (2006). Tourism and global environmental change: ecological, social, economic, and political interrelationships. Taylor & Francis. Hochrainer, S. (2006). Macroeconomic Risk Management against Natural Disasters. DUV. Hyndman, D & Hyndman, D. (2010). Natural Hazards and Disasters. Cengage Learning. Mechler, R. (2004). Natural disaster risk management and financing disaster losses in developing countries. Verlag Versicherungswirtsch. National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Assessing the Costs of Natural Disasters. (1999). The impacts of natural disasters: a framework for loss estimation. National Academies Press. Nwanna, G. I. (2004). 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