Paper Details

Name: Nirmala K.D
Country: India

Year: 2017
Volume: Volume-4, Issue-2 (July-December)
Page Number: 18-27

Abstract
Tourism has evolved into a major global industry and plays a significant role in shaping
national economies through employment generation, foreign exchange earnings, and
strong multiplier effects. However, in recent years, natural disasters worldwide have
caused severe destruction, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives, widespread
property damage, and the devastation of key tourist destinations. Such events inevitably
disrupt the tourism. When a disaster occurs it has a negative impact on the tourism
industry and various destinations as a whole affecting various sectors of tourism. A
systematic approach addressing questions like how tourism businesses can react to
crisis and measures to be taken if such crises happen is discussed widely on academic
and business forums. This paper focuses on such issues pertaining to the tourism
sector at the time of crises brought about by natural disasters.
Across the world, tourism has emerged as a powerful engine of economic
transformation due to its capacity to generate employment, foster linkages with local
enterprises, and earn substantial foreign exchange. It is recognized not merely as an
activity but as a comprehensive industry that stimulates infrastructure development,
boosts domestic production, attracts foreign capital, and promotes the dissemination of
modern technology and information. Moreover, tourism contributes significantly to
environmental conservation efforts, while helping safeguard cultural heritage, ethnic
diversity, and traditional practices. As a highly interconnected sector, it integrates
transportation, accommodation, food services, retail trade, and various ancillary
industries. For many developing nations, tourism offers a strategic pathway to economic
advancement, with a number of destinations relying on it as a cornerstone of their
growth and survival.