Proposal Sample- AN ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT DISASTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY OF SRI LANKA

AN ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT DISASTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY OF SRI LANKA

ABSTRACT

Global tourism destinations are of the virtual norm that they are prone to disasters at some point in history due to the geographical diversity. Despite this factor, only few have integrated disaster management plans within the industry.

Therefore, the study illuminates on the importance of disaster management in the tourism sector with special reference to the never anticipated tsunami disaster that wiped out the southern coastal belt of Sri Lanka. The literature of the study critically argues the crucial factors that are associated with an effective tourism disaster management which will eventually contribute to the image of the tourism destination.

 Furthermore, to congregate information on the hypothesis of the variables, a deductive research approach will be adopted that will conduct a survey among the sample that encompass hotels operating in Down South coastal bed that were affected by the recent tsunami and is still vulnerable to natural disasters.

The study will utilize ANOVA and correlation coefficient as statistical techniques for the representation and analysis of the data gathered at the investigation phase.

Keywords; Disaster Management, Tourism Sector/ Industry, Tsunami

CHAPTER 1

1.1. INTRODUCTION

Disasters are classified into several types, namely natural and manmade. Earthquakes, floods, storms, volcanic eruptions are origins of natural hazards. Nuclear wars, atomic bombing, terrorism are of manmade disasters. According to the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (2002), natural disasters comprise of hydro-metrological, geophysical and biological disasters.

The study specifies on natural phenomenon of the devastating tsunami disaster on Boxing Day 2004 that claimed many lives and caused catastrophic damage to most of the South East Asian countries. Given the extreme poverty of these regions, the disaster hindered tourism in the affected areas drastically causing a loss of billions of dollars to the industry. The act of god increased the vulnerability of the tourism sector of Sri Lanka which is a key employer for the country’s economic development and a valuable source of foreign reserves earnings.

Today, Climate control is a global issue and a challenge that tourism professionals are compelled to adhere to. It is evident that Sri Lankan tourism is currently at a booming stage due to the resolution of the civil war. Despite this factor, the industry is not immune to natural disasters as clearly demonstrated by the 2004 tsunami attack. Such major disasters lead to a change in the image of the tourism destination that consequently has a negative impact on the inflow of tourist arrivals to the country. Thus stimulating the need and emphasizing the significance for an effective disaster management.

This study is an attempt to highlight the substance of disaster management by analysing the lessons learned by the local tourism from the tsunami destruction which outlined the lack of risk identification that failed to encourage a proactive approach towards natural disasters. Furthermore, evaluates the prevailing national disaster mitigation programmes and the degree to which it yields success, along with conceptualizing stakeholder responsibilities in terms of preparedness by hotel organizations and supportive laws and regulations by respective authorities in order to improve the image of Sri Lanka to an upscale destination.

1.2. PROBLEM STATEMENT

What are the critical factors that determine an effective tsunami disaster management in Down South Coastal area hotels of Sri Lanka?

1.3. PROBLEM JUSTIFICATION

The experience and the lessons learned from the 2004 tsunami disaster specified certain problems that have lead to the implementation of tourism disaster management in Sri Lanka. First, the nation lacked a primary master plan for the management of inevitable disasters in terms of prediction, warning, evacuation and emergency relief activities that are related to proactive approach.

The immediate impact was reported by the government of a loss of USD 250 million to the tourism sector, followed by a drastic drop in the number of tourist arrival. The Down South coastal area was claimed to be the most affected zone, that damaged the livelihoods of 30,000 people involved in tourism including 107 deaths of tourists. Enormous impact was created on the Southern coastal line that has some of the world’s best known beaches and of which 48 hotels reported to be affected by the calamity.

The lack of coordination collaboration among stakeholders such as tourism organization and emergency response units were poor, where disaster awareness programmes were nil and community lacked knowledge on the existence of tsunamis and how to escape one. The absence of a fully responsible governmental unit outlined the incompetent institutional arrangement to address disasters at a national level and the lack of debriefing period to exchange experience to gain insights in order to seek improvement to prevent future disaster occurrence are examples of facts that justifies the above problem statement.

1.4. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.      To find out the catastrophic effects of the tsunami devastation with regard to Down South tourism in Sri Lanka.

2.      To find out the significant changes that has occurred in the hospitality industry due to the tsunami disaster.

3.      To evaluate the existing deterrent measures engaged by the tourist authorities, in order to mitigate future occurrence of tsunami.

4.      To find out the relationship between the types of hotels and disaster recovery plans.

5.      To find out the challenges of implementing disaster management in the tourism industry.

1.5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

To analyse the integrated approach taken towards a tourism disaster management by the country is the primary value of the study and the following are the target beneficiaries;

·         Tourists - to change the prevailing perception or rather behaviour of tourists towards the tsunami affected destinations and to guarantee safety and the effectiveness of the measures to mitigate future disaster occurrence.

·         Tourism Authority - to gain insights from the past disasters in order to offset pessimistic images for promotional purposes and to attract new tourism opportunities.

·         Government - to identify the existing gap of effectiveness of the national disaster management programmes in order to improve and plan for future disasters and contribute to economic development.

·         Hotel Organizations – to identify the importance of disaster management and integrate related strategic management policies in hotel operations in order to improve the company image.

·         Insurance Companies – in order to gather information to alter or modify necessary insurance policies with relation to natural disasters

·         Hotel employees – provides comprehensive information to understand the importance of preparedness in terms of engaging in necessary training.

·         Community- gain knowledge about the occurrence of tsunami and learn how to escape one in order to prevent damage to the livelihood of the people.

1.6. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study is limited to analysing tourism disaster management with special reference to the 2004 tsunami devastation and fails to address other types of natural disasters that the tourism industry is exposed to.

The Sri Lankan coastal line coverage is of 1,330 kilometres of which 1,126 kilometres were affected. The study will only consider the South coastline and the rest will be omitted.

The research is furthermore limited to a hotel sample unit of five star, four star and three stars operating in selective areas of Down South coastal region of the Southern Province district of Sri Lanka. This sample may include hotels that were affected by the tsunami and new hotels which were established recently which did not suffer the damage.

CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 INTRODUCTION

The emergence of disaster management in the tourism industry has been advocated by much academic research due to the intensity and frequency of natural disasters with relevance to the geographical diversity of tourism. (International Federation of Red Cross and Crescents Societies 2006 cited in Hystad and Keller, 2008)

Studies by Burby & Wagner (1996) and Drabek (1992, 1994) have further emphasized that tourists are vulnerable to disasters than locals due to the fact that they are less independent in terms of their unfamiliarity with regards to local hazards and relied resources to avoid risks. Therefore, Sonmez et al, (1999) recommended that hospitality companies should manage disasters in a manner that gives priority or rather responsibility toward their guests.

According to Faulkner (2001); Kash & Darling (1998); Ritchie (2004), there is minimal proactive planning in the industry despite the increasing natural devastations; there by shedding light on the importance of disaster management in the tourism industry.

Faulkner (2001) had identified the need for long term disaster management therefore his study proposes a framework towards disaster management that includes six phases, namely; preparation, response, emergency, initial recovery, long term recovery and re-establishment.

Moreover, similar scholars such as Moe and Pathranarakul (2006) have identified an integrated approach towards natural disaster management and likewise Kurita et al (2006) attempts to evaluate the tsunami public awareness and the disaster management system of Sri Lanka.

 2.2 HOTEL STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

Prior academic studies on tourism disaster management have emphasized on the fact that tourism industry is susceptible and vulnerable to disasters (Santana, 1998) such as the Southeast Asian tsunami that had catastrophic impact on the industry (Okumus and Karamustafa, 2005). Many arguments have been presented to address whether or not strategic management facilitates organizations to prevent or mitigate adverse effects of a disaster that unexpectedly originates from the external environment (Preble, 1997).

However, David (2003, p.15, cited in Tew et al., 2008) claims that organizations tend to be “more proactive than negative in shaping its own future” and “exerts control over its own destiny” due to strategic management. Therefore, there is a general notion that strategic management allows organizations to deal with disasters effectively. (Tew et al., 2008)

According to Yu et al (2006) tourism operators must develop a disaster management plan and integrate it to the organizations’ strategic planning and review the strategic plan frequently to identify any amendment in the strategic direction. Finally, training throughout all levels of the organization is vital for the disaster management plan to be effective since it is essential for managers to be prepared to cope with future occurrence of disasters (Chong, 2004). Siomkos et al, (2006) shared a similar view with relation to Greek luxury hotels’ proactive practices towards disaster management that stressed on the level of preparedness. Udugama’s (2008) concept paper on Sarvodaya highlighted the need for training of management and staff of the hotel community in order to foster disaster resilient and also to provide a disaster preparedness certification to make Sri Lankan hotels desirable.

 Handerson’s (2005, 2007) studies on hotels in Phuket, revealed a different management approach towards the 2004 Tsunami in terms of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activities that were critical factor for tourism disaster management. Contradicting arguments and criticism by Edgar and Nisbet (1996) stated that long range strategic planning is of little benefit to hospitality operators due to the inevitable nature of disasters and suggested that hotels should not try to overcome the environment rather change and adapt accordingly. Hence, it is noteworthy to state that there is a significant relationship between Hotel strategic management and tourism disaster management.

2.3 GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS

Studies by Hystad and Keller (2008) identified a destination tourism disaster management framework of which they emphasized on stakeholder responsibility for a successful tourism disaster management.

According to Cioccio & Michael, (2007); Faulker &Vikulov, (2001); Hystad and Keller (2005) majority of tourism organizations do not integrate disaster management strategies into their business; instead they tend to assume that a superior authority initiates a tourism disaster management plan. Therefore, it is evident that the government is the key stakeholder for the coordination of activities required for an effective disaster management. (Moe and Pathranarakul, 2006)

Buffer zones were announced to restrict reconstruction in tsunami affected countries (Wong, 2009).  Based on the lessons learned from the 2004 tsunami disaster, the government of Sri Lanka had considered various countermeasures (Kurita et al., 2006) which included the no-build buffer zone of 100m in the South. The Sri Lankan legislation with regards to the buffer zone was rather confusing since hotels were allowed to remain within the zone with restrictions for new ventures (Wong, 2009).

Moe and Pathranarakul’s (2006) study on an integrated approach towards disaster management advocated that governmental supportive laws and regulations is a CSF (Critical Success Factor) for successful disaster management. In addition to this, Tingsanchali (2005) argued that due to 34 laws that are associated to disasters in Thailand, many tourism organizations faced authority confusions. Hence, it is theoretically pointed out that supportive laws and regulations must be established and enforced for effective disaster management.

As stated by Hystad and Keller (2008) the role of a government becomes crucial during a post- tsunami recovery period and there by hotels expect Tourist Authorities under the state governance to provide leadership for the collaboration between tourism organizations and emergency response agencies. The study further states that the resolution stage should be a debriefing period among the respective authorities and hotels for the transfer of knowledge among the groups in order to improve tourism disaster management. 

2.4 LOCAL PRESSURE GROUPS

As identified by Ritchie (2004) the media is considered to be a crucial stakeholder in the event of a disaster with relation to the communication of information to various public including tourists. He further elaborates on its importance due to its ability to restore confidence in a disaster affected tourist destination during its long term resolution stage.

Contradicting arguments have been made by similar studies on the negative media coverage due to severe impact of disasters on the hospitality industry. Hall (2002) gave emphasis to the influential power of the media that may consequently result in a shift of the public’s image of a destination and tourist perceptions on disaster management in the tourism sector.

Faulkner (2001) claims that media will make possible to disseminate warnings on potential disasters and simultaneously hinder the execution of an emergency operation by broadcasting false information and further criticising such operations. However, media is an essential ingredient in Faulkner’s (2001) framework towards a tourism disaster management.

Based on the main findings by Vassilikopoulou et al (2009), the study suggests that hotel operators should establish a positive interaction with the media through a two way communication. Additionally, the media must be exposed to accurate information that will improve the tourism sector’s image.

Apart from the media, studies by Udugama (2008) show that the THASL (Tourist Hotals Association of Sri Lanka) has a significant influence on the development of the local tourism sector. It is known to be the only formal body representing all hotels in Sri Lanka and contributes to the formulation of disaster management plans for the country’s hospitality industry. 

These arguments presented in this section demonstrate the relationship between local pressure groups and its impact on tourism disaster management. Therefore it is advisable for hotels to develop a network of contacts and encourage long term mutual beneficial relationships with the respective pressure groups (Vassilikopoulou et al., 2009). 

2.5 GOVERNMENT INFRASTRUCTURE

Recent studies indicated that the government of Sri Lanka was inadequately prepared for natural disasters since the country never anticipated a major tsunami. Although the government has initiated disaster mitigation plans, the lack of experienced officials, insufficient resources and the absence of a proper disaster management system fell short to accomplish productive results (Kurita et al., 2006).

Moe and Pathranarakul (2006) had identified that the lack of a proactive approach consequently led to the catastrophic damage and significant number of deaths including tourists. However, the same study outlines the CSFs (Critical Success Factors) for a viable disaster management that highlights the need for an effective information system that is important for sharing vital information among stakeholders to engage in planning and early warning.

Another key factor identified by the authors is effective disaster logistics that includes technology such as GIS (Geographic Information System) and furthermore underlines the requirement of sufficient funds which are all of Government stakeholder responsibilities. A study by Oloruntoba (2005) on post tsunami recovery supports and shares a similar view.

Studies by Gamage and Halpin (2007) on the status of information and communication technology (ICT) imply that it is mainly concentrated in the urban area there by indicating a slow and uneven growth which constitutes a problem for the productive outcomes of the early warning mechanism.

Arguments presented by Perry (2007) reveal that government infrastructure is very much needed for natural disaster management planning. Therefore it is evident that the lack of government infrastructure impedes the efficacy of a tourism disaster management. 

2.6 PREVIOUS TSUNAMI IMPACT

The Sri Lankan tourism sector along with other Southeast Asian countries suffered a tremendous loss due to the calamity of the 2004 tsunami. Ritchie (2004) identified that tourism is an important economic sector in this region that contributes to the majority of the nations’ growth and survival.

Therefore, due to the immense pressure on tourism managers, the need to assess the extent of the damage is important to devise strategies to cope with the impact that hampers the interest of tourism.

Studies by Robinson and Jarvie (2008) specified that tourism in the coastal belt of Sri Lanka that consisted of hotels, restaurants and other entertainment facilities were either partially or completely wiped out. A total of USD 250 million of the tourism sector was estimated by the World Bank (2005, cited in Robinson and Jarvie, 2008).

The authors further stated that the tidal waves had a major impact on the island’s inland tourism due to the misperception that the entire land was affected that lead to a decrease in the inflow of tourist arrivals..

Another consequence of the tsunami would be the increase in travel insurance as disclosed by Zhang’s (2005) study on tourism in China. It was evident that the disaster encouraged or rather promoted the purchase of casualty insurance.

Wang’s (2009) investigation revealed that the impact of disasters in terms of safety impedes the tourism demand.

Scrutinizing the gravity of the impact of the tsunami disaster will outline common problems that are associated with disaster management (Moe and Pathranarakul, 2006) which will further stimulate the need for one in the tourism sector that ensures safety of tourists. Analysis of such consequences of natural disasters will seek for solutions within a disaster management context (Ichinosawa, 2006).  

CHAPTER 03 – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Independent Variables                                                         Dependent Variable

Figure 1 – Conceptual frame work Source: (Author’s work, 2010)

Government Infrastructure

Previous tsunami impact

Local Pressure groups

Government regulations

Hotel strategic management

H1 11

H2

H3

H4

H5

Tourism Disaster Management

 

 

3.2 HYPOTHESIS

Ho – there is no positive relationship between tourism disaster management factors and tourism disaster management.

Ha – there is a positive relationship between tourism disaster management factors and tourism disaster management.

	Hypothesis
H1	Ho1 - there is no positive relationship between Hotel strategic management towards disaster mitigation and tourism disaster management. Ha1 - there is a positive relationship between Hotel strategic management towards disaster mitigation and tourism disaster management.
H2	Ho2 – there is no positive relationship Government regulations between and tourism disaster management. Ha2 - there is a positive relationship between Government regulations and tourism disaster management.
H3	Ho3 - there is no positive relationship between Pressure Groups and tourism disaster management. Ha3 - there is a positive relationship between Pressure Groups and tourism disaster management.
H4	Ho4 – there is no positive relationship between Government Infrastructure and tourism disaster management. Ha4 – there is a positive relationship between Government Infrastructure and tourism disaster management.

H5	Ho5 - there is no positive relationship between Previous tsunami impact on Down South tourism and tourism disaster management. Ha5 - there is a positive relationship between Previous tsunami impact on Down South tourism and tourism disaster management.

Table 1- Hypothesis                                                    Source: (Author’s work, 2010)

3.3 POPULATION

The population for the study comprises of hotels operating in the Southern coast of Sri Lanka. The prime reason for the chosen population is due to the extent of the severe impact of the 2004 calamity of tsunami to this region, which consequently led to the partial or complete closure of majority of the hotels in Galle, Hambantota and Matara (Gupta, 2005).

The Down South coastal belt is best known for its’ beaches and other assets that are main tourist attractions. Among them is the Dutch Fort in Galle that was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and additionally the surf, snorkelling and diving destinations such as Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna that were vulnerable to the tidal waves. Therefore, it is the ideal population to identify the critical factors for an effective tourism disaster management.

3.4 SAMPLE TECHNIQUE

The study will initially utilize the clustering method due to the grouping of the population. Later the stratified sampling technique will be applied to derive at a sample which will encompass homogeneous descriptive categorization of 3 to 5 star hotels which is known as strata. This method will facilitate to eliminate errors and reduce biasness of the research. 

3.5 SAMPLE

As per the above sampling technique, the sample size will consists of 3, 4 and 5 star hotels of the Southern coastal line that were affected by the tsunami tragedy and is yet exposed to future occurrence of potential tsunami disasters. The following exhibit and table illustrates the derived sample of 35 hotels that is essential to congregate information to determine the purpose of the study.

3.5.1 Sample illustration

35 Star Hotels

Location	5 Star Hotels	4 Star Hotels	3 Star Hotels
Bentota	·  Saman Villa ·  Taj Exotica ·  Heritance Hotel ·  Triton	·  Tamarind Hill Hotel ·  Bentota Beach Hotel ·  Indiriwa Beach Resort	·   Hotel Serendib ·   Hotel Club Villa ·   Induruwa Beach Hotel ·   Emerald Bay Hotel ·   Lihiniya Surf Hotel
Hikkaduwa			·   Coral Sands Hotel ·   Amaya Reef ·   Coral Gardens Hotel ·   White House Villa ·   Sunils beach
Galle	·  The Fortress	·  Jetwing Light House Hotel ·  Galle Fort	·   Closenberg Hotel ·   The Fortress ·   Villa Araliya
Unawatuna		·  Kosgoda Beach Resort	·   Off Rocks Villa ·   Unawatuna Beach Resort
Hambanthota	·  Elephant corridor	·  YalaVillage	·   Peacock Beach Hotel
Matara	·  Weligama Mandara Resort ·  Amanwella Resort		·   Surf Lanka Hotel ·   Weligama Bay Beach ·   Dickwella Resort

Table 2- Sample Unit - Hotels of Down South                     Source:(Author’s work, 2010)

3.6 RESEARCH APPROACH

The study will adopt a deductive approach considering the time contingency and the research characteristics. Such an approach was previously used by similar studies (Hystad and Keller, 2008) to test the relationship or rather the validity of the hypothesis on a top down approach. 

3.7 RESEARCH STRATEGY

A survey method was conducted as the research strategy to congregate information for the analysis of the hypothesis. In terms of gathering primary data a questionnaire is distributed among the sample for the essence of the investigation. Furthermore, interviews will be held with respective authorities to obtain quality comprehensive information (Kurita et al., 2006).

Secondary data will be associated with books, journal articles, statistics and census for the measurement of the appropriate variables.

3.8 OPERATIONALIZATION

Name of the variable	Definition	Type of Question/ Description	Type of Data	Measurement
Independent	The extent to which hotels have integrated disaster management into strategic management	I believe my staff members are well trained and know how to protect themselves from a tsunami.	Interval	Likert Scale
Hotel Strategic Management
Government Regulations	The extent of the government’s influence on mitigation of disasters.	Government has enforced supportive laws to mitigate tsunami disasters.	Interval	Likert Scale
Local Pressure Groups	The impact of local pressure groups on tourism disaster management.	Media’s influence is important to determine an effective tourism disaster management.	Interval	Likert Scale

Previous tsunami impact	The extent of damage to the tourism sector by the tsunami.	Local tourism sector have obtained insights and knowledge from the lessons learned.	Interval	Likert Scale
Government Infrastructure	The inadequate resources for the implementation and effectiveness of the tourism disaster management.	Lack of government infrastructure is a challenge to overcome in tourism disaster management.	Interval	Likert Scale
International Standards	The set standards by international bodies the tourism sector has to adhere to.	Local tourism sector’s disaster management is in par with international standards.	Interval	Likert Scale
Dependent	The effectiveness of the prevailing tourism disaster management.	A successful tourism disaster management is crucial to promote Sri Lanka as a viable destination.	Interval	Likert Scale
Tourism Disaster Management

Table 3 - Operationalization Chart                             Source: (Author’s work, 2010)

3.9 PROPOSED STATISTICAL METHOD

For the evaluation of the significant relationship between the dependent and independent variables Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), correlation coefficient and T- statistics will be used since previous research such as Vassilikopoulou et al (2009) and Chen (2010) approve the above methods to be suitable for the representation of data.  

CHAPTER 4 – CONCLUSION

The predicament of the study is to emphasize on disaster management in the tourism industry, with relevance to identifying the factors that determine an effective tsunami disaster management in the Southern coastal belt of Sri Lanka.

The objectives for the study were there by devised accordingly. The critical literature review theoretically demonstrates the significant relationship of the respective hypothesis based on previous academic research.

A stratified sampling method will be applied to develop a precise sample size. Additionally, deductive research approach will be adopted in order to congregate information on the validity of the hypothesis in terms of a questionnaire and face to face interviews with the chosen sample for the collection of primary data.

Coping with natural disasters is a challenge in modern tourism management and is beneficial to the tourism sector when executed properly. Thus, the prime aspect of the study will enable the domestic tourism sector and other key stakeholders such as tourists to conclude whether or not Sri Lanka is a viable tourism destination.

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