Tourism Risk Management - Sustainable Tourism Online

epresentatives. While all initial enquiries were directed to this coordination centre, smaller centres
were also established in hospitals and affected provinces. Volunteers assisted at the EOC, medical
facilities and the airport, while accommodation and service providers donated food, shelter and
support for victims and emergency responders.
In the high profile tourist resort of Patong most utilities were restored within days and the beach was
quickly cleared of debris. With rapid evacuations and an initial distribution of resources, issues of
food, water and sanitation never became a real threat for tourists. Yet, as repetitive images and
stories of the disaster continued to dominate the media, most of the world was left with the
impression that the entire island of Phuket had been devastated and blanket travel advisories were
implemented. Disease and health epidemics related to stagnant water bodies and unrecovered
corpses were seen as probable risks to travellers. Despite the influx of trained personnel, finances,
resources and medical aid from around the globe, it proved difficult to relay credible information. As
response efforts moved from search and rescue endeavours to further medical assistance, victim
identification, repatriation, trauma/grief support and initial damage assessments, few authorities
seemed willing to comment on popular speculation regarding a subsequent tsunami.
Local businesses, many of which lacked insurance, were left to consider future options and
business viability. Where possible, stock was recovered, sold at discounted prices or restored to
former condition. As hotels, buildings and resorts were fenced from public view and looting, debris
accumulated in the street for removal by government and private-enterprise-sponsored contractors.
While struggling with personal grief and loss, the community, all sectors of business, industry, and
government worked together to restore the operational capacity and image of Patong and other less
affected regional resorts. The national government offered official support and compensation for all
direct victims. A conference hosted in Phuket by the World Tourism Organization and international
industry experts developed the Phuket Action Plan to assist and guide the restoration of tourism
throughout the affected regions
Rebuilding and Recovery
With occupancy rates recorded below 40% within the first nine months following the incident,
recovery has strongly focused on emotional support, physical reconstruction, safety and greater
tourism sustainability. A subsequent earthquake (yet no resultant tsunami) on 28 March 2005 was
sufficient to demonstrate a residual fear regarding this hazard. Consistent with the United Nations
resolution to develop an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System, Thailand embarked on its own
public warning system, complete with a string of coastal warning towers. With scheduled training
evacuations, practice drills and improved local hazard awareness education, Thailand has strived to
actively promote the message that it values the lives of both residents and tourists.
Organized journalist trips and high profile celebrity visits have also been staged to emphasize a
return to conditions of safety and security. Extensive recovery plans implemented between the
government, community and industry have sought to address many of the medium- and long-term
issues associated with both tourism development and the tsunami including; environmental
encroachment, water quality monitoring, resource use, and the proximity of structures to the
coastline. While international arrival figures over the first anniversary of the tsunami (coinciding with
a traditional peak tourist season) were encouraging for most, they were short of the optimistic
predictions of full industry recovery.
Given the scale and severity of the disaster, the Andaman region has yet to fully recover
economically yet, in terms of response and consumer confidence initiatives, this region has
demonstrated relative success in its crisis management capacity. Awareness, local hazard
education and communication may have been improved, however, all stakeholders have since
become proactively involved in mitigation efforts and making the tourism product and destination
more resilient to future adversity.
(Source: Phuket Gazette, 2006; Wikipedia, 2006; and UNWTO, 2006)
34 Tourism Risk Management – An Authoritative Guide to Managing Crises in Tourism