Ignatius Cahyanto

Expanding the tourism crisis management planning framework to include social media: lessons from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill 2010

This article summarises a case study investigating the relationship between the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the response by VISIT FLORIDA ® . The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill started leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico on 20 April 2010 and continued to leak until it was capped on 19 September 2010. These events caused major disruptions to the region’s main tourism season, particularly the state of Florida. A case study was undertaken to demonstrate A survey of 1,286 travellers to the state of Florida was conducted three times during the most active time of the spill, as well as a review of government and organisational reports and personal conversations with VISIT FLORIDA ® employees were used to guide the case study.

Crisis Planning and Preparedness in the United States Tourism Industry

An empirical exploration of disaster planning and preparedness for the industry finds a reasonably high level of planning, with noteworthy weaknesses. Based on 155 telephone interviews with tourism leaders from three industry segments (namely, lodging, attractions, and promotions), the majority of organizations surveyed had a written crisis preparedness plan which was updated regularly—often annually. Most organizations had direct communication arrangements with local emergency preparedness agencies, but connections with national agencies, notably the Federal Emergency Management Agency, were less frequent. Given that many respondents were in destinations with many visitors (in this case, Florida), perhaps most troublesome finding was the relatively low percentage of written plans addressing procedures for visitors—mentioned by barely half of the respondents—and the relatively low participation in central relocation systems—again, just half of respondents. Overall, resource allocation had a greater impact on whether an organization would engage in crisis planning and communication procedures than did crisis experience.

Cognitive and affective responses of Florida tourists after exposure to hurricane warning messages

Tourists are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters such as hurricanes since they might be less informed and prepared than residents of disaster-prone areas. Thus, understanding how the traits of a tropical cyclone as well as specific characteristics of tourists influence affective and cognitive responses to a hurricane warning message is a critical component in disaster planning. Using scenarios that presented tropical cyclones with different relevant characteristics (such as category at landfall), tourists’ knowledge, experience with hurricanes, trip traits, and the location of the survey (coastal or inland), this study contributes to the literature on sociological issues related to natural disasters. The findings suggest that risk perceptions and fear are influenced differently by the traits of the hurricanes and tourists’ knowledge and experience. Risk is strongly influenced by the projected category of the hurricane at landfall, while fear is not as sensitive to this extremely relevant trait of cyclones. The results also suggest that the influence of risk and fear on evacuation likelihood is strong and positive. This study shows the value of studying cognitive and affective responses to uncertain events.

Communicating Hurricane Evacuation to Tourists Gender, Past Experience with Hurricanes, and Place of Residence

The article discusses how the role of gender, residence, and past experience with hurricanes affects tourists’ voluntary evacuation in the event of hurricanes. The study examines how the aforesaid variables influence the perceived credibility of the information source and how such perceptions are translated into voluntary evacuation decisions. The findings indicate that the aforesaid variables significantly influence the perception of the credibility of the information source and information search behaviors leading to a voluntary evacuation decision. Implications of the findings are also discussed.

Destination management organizations and tourism crisis management plans in Florida.

Destination management organizations (DMOs) at the local level are at the forefront of crisis management planning for the tourism industry. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of the role of DMOs in the event of a crisis. While crisis preparedness of an organization is based on the respective crisis plans, minimal attention has been given to the analysis of DMO�s crisis management plans in the US. The nature of organizational crisis plans can be analyzed through the use of multiple variables. This study examines DMO crisis plans in Florida that are designed specifically for the tourism industry, and are analyzed based on geographical location, bed tax revenues, and the number of employees. The results indicate that revenues play a significant role in determining the level of tourism crisis management preparedness within DMOs.

Travelers’ Perceptions of Crisis Preparedness Certification in the United States

This study aimed to understand travelers’ perceptions about the benefits of tourism crisis preparedness certification and its potential to positively influence the travelers’ destination decision-making process. A survey of U.S. households revealed that, in general, travelers are neutral or not sure about certification and its relationship to safety, benefits, and future travel. The main predictors of likelihood to travel to a certified tourism prepared destination were as follows: (1) I have a great deal of confidence in such a crisis certification process; (2) I would feel safer when visiting a certified crisis prepared travel destination; (3) A certified crisis prepared destination would be safer to visit than one that is not; and (4) a crisis prepared certification benefits the visitor. The findings imply a need for a clear definition and conceptualization of tourism crisis preparedness certification. By extension, the benefits of certification should be articulated to travelers so they can make informed travel decisions.

Tourist–resident interfaces: using reflexive photography to develop responsible rural tourism in Indonesia

This study examines how Indonesia can responsibly develop rural tourism within the tolerance range of local people, particularly for controlling their unique landscapes. It employs reflexive photography as a tool to involve residents for rural tourism development in Sambi village. Data were collected in Sambi using reflexive photography procedures, including a photo-making process and photo-interview. Twenty-eight residents were issued a single-use camera and requested to take photographs of what they deemed important to them. Cameras were provided for a two-week period followed by individual interviews; 618 useable photos were taken. They were coded into 15 topics, and then consolidated into five themes that residents wanted to share: their way of life, environmental features, built structures, people, art and ceremony, while also protecting the cemetery and mosque from tourists. Two strategies (time and space) were utilized by the residents to negotiate what they wanted to share as well as conceal. Residents view time in terms of sacred time (residents time spent alone, family time and time for religious prayer) and impartial time (devoted to working and other daily routines). A model based on four time and space zones was formulated to understand how residents control their landscapes for tourism development.

Reflections from utilizing reflexive photography to develop rural tourism in Indonesia.

Interest in the use of reflexive photography as a method of social research has gained attention in a variety of fields in recent years. Reflexive photography has been used in numerous studies across disciplines to extract information from research participants. A few studies have applied reflexive photography in tourism settings. However, there are some issues of application in tourism research. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of reflexive photography as a method within the context of a rural village in Indonesia. The study was conducted in Sambi village during June-July, 2007. Data were gathered using reflexive photography with 28 participants. Four main issues related to the utilization of reflexive photography are discussed: (1) the importance of absent objects, (2) the strength of meaning, (3) the use of technology by locals, and (4) the timing of the study. The study concluded that reflexive photography can be an alternative tool in local participatory decision-making in tourism development, especially in rural communities. However, due to the unique nature of the method, it is imperative to understand the issues and appropriately plan the utilization to maximize the outcomes. Recommendations for future uses of this method in tourism research are discussed.