Responses on natural disasters in tourism - A case of Jeju Island, Korea- ITOP Forum Yong Kun Suh, Ph.D. Associate Professor Dept. of Tourism Management Jeju National University Jeju, Korea

Introduction Definition Cases Conclusion C ontents

Natural or man-made disasters have severe impacts on global tourism industry

Natural disasters resulted in massive destruction and losses of human life in the affected areas.

Policy makers in tourism destinations need to be more pro- active in handling natural disasters to minimize damages.

Derived from the Greek word, ‘krisis’ which means ‘differentiation’ or ‘decision’, & applied in various contexts (Glasesser, 2003). An unexpected event or occurrence which has the capacity to disrupt everyday operations & which requires actions from managers in private and / or public sectors (Faulkner, 2001).

“A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources” (UNDP, 2008, p.6)

Used interchangeably Disasters usually owe their origin to external factors, exemplified by extreme weather Crises are by implication more amenable to control than disasters & some can be avoided

Three to four typhoons annually, and some of them cause huge damages to the Korean Peninsula.

Categorized as a small but intense typhoon, Nari struck Jeju island on September 16, About 140 flights and ferries services were cancelled, completely isolating Jeju from the mainland.

Damages: - Caused inconvenience to about 20,000 visitors to Jeju Island by causing the cancellation of many flights and ferries - A sharp drop in tourist arrivals Responses: - Carried out aggressive destination marketing in cooperation with several organizations - Established National Typhoon Center in Seogwipo City in 2008 to improve weather and typhoon forecasts - Constructed 11 water reservoirs in the upper areas of the island to store water increased unexpectedly by heavy rain - Installed CCTVs and disaster warning system for the rapid evacuation of residents

Highly contagious disease found in cloven-footed animals such as cows, pigs, deer, goats, etc. South Korea experienced the severe FMD crisis in 2010~2011 Damages: buried about 3.5 million animals on 6,241 farms

Banned the import of animals from the mainland Prohibited tourists’ access to farms in the island Cancelled scheduled local festivals and closed several tourist attractions such as roe deer observation center, several animal farms, and seven walking trail courses Installed disinfection equipments at the airport, hotels, golf courses, horse riding places and some other attractions Jeju island could be safe from FMD

: : : : Awareness & Preparedness for Emergencies at the Local Level : An International Initiative & Local Preparedness Framework – 10steps Identify the emergency response participants and establish their roles, resources and concerns. 1 1 Identify and assess all hazards and risks that may result in emergency situations in the community. Propose early warning, preventions and mitigation measures. 2 2 Have participants review their own emergency response plans to ensure a coordinated response 3 3

Identify the required response tasks not covered by existing plans. 4 4 Match these tasks to the resources of the identified participants. 5 5 Make the changes to improve existing plans, integrate them into an overall community plan and gain agreement 6 6 Commit the integrate community plan to writing and obtain approval from local governments 7 7 Educate participating groups about the integrated plan and ensure training of emergency responders 8 8 Establish procedures for periodic testing, review and updating of the plan 9 9 Educated the community about the integrated plan through awareness raising campaigns 10

The involvement of all stakeholders The establishment of local coordinating group Expertise and international / national support Financial aspects Management structure and local project leaders

Center for Research on the Epidemiology of disasters, Institute of Health and Society, Univ. catholique de Louvain (2012), Annual disaster statistical review 2011, Brussels: Belgium. Ghaderi, Z., Som, A., & Henderson, J (2012), Tourism crises & island destinations: Experiences in Penang, Malaysia, Tourism Management Perspectives, UNEP (2008), Disaster risk reduction: A toolkit for tourism destinations, Paris: France. UNEP (2008), Disaster risk management for coastal tourism destinations responding to climate change: A practical guide for decision makers, Paris: France.

Thank you!