The Growth and Significance of Tourism in Global Economy
Discuss about the Effects of Mount Sinabung Volcanic Eruption for Tourism in Indonesia.
Tourism in recent years has experienced growth and sustainable development as well as successful diversification making it the fastest growing economic sector globally. This has made the tourism industry to also grow as a channel for international currency exchange making it one of the principal sectors that sustain the global economy and regions or country whose tourism industry is booming. Such a country is Indonesia where its currently considered as the new ‘star’ for the county’s economy at the end of the financial year of 2017. According to the minister of tourism in Indonesia, Ariel Yahya, the tourism industry creates employment for their citizens as well as contribute immensely to the country’s GDP and foreign exchanges which in the long runs to boost the country economy (Andreastuti et al, 2017).
Indonesia is widely known to have many tourist attraction sites such as landmarks and beautiful islands which have over 14million foreign tourists into the country last year. However, there are some tourist sites that could pose a threat to tourism in the country and its geographical locations immensely such as Mt Sinabung which is volcanic (Erfurt-cooper, Sigurdsson and Lopes, 2015). The mountain is considered as a complementary attraction site as many tourists visit the province due to lake Tobias recent volcanic eruptions which by far is considered the largest in history has caused a drastic dent on the tourism success in the region which will be discussed further in this paper.
The Indonesian tourism industry is taking a dent due to the 3rd volcanic eruption in eight years of mount sinabung located in Sumatra province. This time the eruption is far bigger than the last one which occurred in 2015 that decimated many businesses which recovered in the recent years, however, this time things are different due to the intensity of the eruption sending searing gas down its slants and surging fiery debris mists as high as 5,000m into the sky. As indicated by the Indonesian National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), there were no fatalities or casualties, however, the Indonesian government issued a ‘red notice’ to aircraft because of the emission. The ash covered the neighboring towns which hosted dozens of hotels where tourist were residing which brought challenges to the management teams of these hotels.
Natural disasters occur from time to time and they affect the standard and procedures of a workplace. In Such a location as Sumatra province where volcanic eruptions are no news, it’s up to the managers and executives whose business such as hotels are located, must have standards and procedures that will adapt to the occurrence of the natural disasters. Although it could be challenging to manage the business effectively during such period it will still play a big role in quality management of the guest and consumers effectively which ends up saving their lives and even property which comes in handy in protecting the brand of the business as one happy customer could have a positive impact on several hundred. Walters, Mair, and Ritchie (2015) propose that the picture a tourist holds of destination is perceived as being of high significance, this is because of the impact it has on the destination a visitor visits. There is a wide range of components which impact how a potential guest will see a destination; these may incorporate data found in publicizing and obtained by listening in on others’ conversations. With regards to catastrophes particularly,
Indonesia’s Tourism Industry: Challenges and Successes
a huge factor affecting the image of the destination by tourist’s psyche is the worldwide dispersion of data by means of the media. This can prompt a negative impression of areas influenced by cataclysmic events. Nevertheless, most of the tourist who visits Sumatra province are mostly aware of the volcanic activities in the regions which is part and parcel of their interest in the area. These tourists who are known as ‘dark tourist’ are critically aware of the dangers related to such sites which makes it easier for the tourism business to handle (Miller, et al 2017).
Natural disasters are accompanied by the destructions of business and properties such as hotels which incur heavy losses. Therefore, it is efficient for the hotel management to have contingency plans which are sufficient warning emergency planning and demonstrates the intention of identifying a crisis which builds and maintains the reputation the hotel brand. When anticipating for crises managers ought to consider a few crucial factors, for example, coordinated effort, correspondence, and control. Be that as it may, the most essential crucial factor is the administration’s pledge to embrace and build up a crisis administration design, which will be a solid direction and refreshed message to impart previously, amid, and after the emergency (Chatfield and Reddick 2015). substantial associations will probably have a crisis design than smaller organizations, contingent upon the size and their budgetary circumstance. Besides, with restricted assets, emergency management is less vital for smaller businesses, as they surmise that the emergency won’t influence them, or they will deal with their business without an arrangement. A few specialists clarified that the associations that confronted a debacle before will probably put resources into and build up their own crisis design, since they experience the ill effects of the past dangers and gain from its impact on the properties and human lives (Agustan, Kausar and Kriswati, 2016).
According to the BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, volcanic eruption does not happen everywhere in the world and they are not an often phenomena, However, in Indonesia, things are different in the sense that there have been several volcanic eruptions in that past ten years. Mount Sinabung’s latest volcanic eruption comes approximately four months after the Balinese eruption and for the first time in over a century Mount Agung causing a seismic occasion that sent the island’s flourishing tourism industry into meltdown (Fontijn et al, 2015).
The Impact of the Mt Sinabung Eruption on Indonesia’s Tourism Industry
Mount Agung had been heaving billows of white and dim slag around three kilometers into the environment, leading to evacuation around 150,000 individuals over 400 flights were cancelled in November after Bali’s major airport was shut in the midst of admonitions of a potential volcanic emission at Mount Agung with the quantity of Australian tourist going to Bali in the pinnacle tourist month of December reduced by around half the number and entries from China that month dropping from 100,000 to 11,500, the emission of Mount Agung is evaluated to have taken a toll the island’s tourism industry an amazing $1.5 billion causing a serious dent at the county’s economic stability and national GDP (Gertisser et al,2018).
Technology and detections could come in handy for hotel and hospitality industry in such a region that is prone to disasters. It would be easier to conduct the daily activities and transactions carried out on a daily basis moreover, books can be closed early and efficiently in case of a disaster. Disaster detection technologies will be efficient in handling and managing the guest efficiently and early saving lives, in the long run, preventing a previous occurrence that happens during the last three volcanic eruptions that claimed 25 lives.
The government has a major role to play in the management of natural disasters especially the tourism and hospitality industry since it contributes heavily to the economic stability of the country as well as raise the standard of living of Indonesia through the creation of employment opportunities. However the constant natural disinters such as earthquakes and tsunamis has opted the Indonesian government to up their game in having a quick detention, response, and management of disasters with the help of foreign governments and international bodies such as the USAID. A good example is an earlier incident where the Mt sin bug erupted between late 2013 and early 2014. The incidence was not well prepared for since 16 people died and tens of thousands were evacuated to avoid more casualties from the volcanic ash which is harmful to the human health. However, the government responded accordingly through the help of foreign governments such as China and international organizations such as UN and USAID who provided shelter, medical assistance and food for the affected individual during the time. Moreover, more countermeasures were put in place such as advanced technological detections systems and use of satellites which saw the eruption of the same mountain in 2018 where control and management of the disaster effective and did not claim any lives
Hotel Management and Contingency Planning during Natural Disasters
First and foremost, it essential that all hotel managers within the vicinity of a volcanic eruption be vast with the safety procedure and tips to carry out during a volcanic eruption. Moreover, managers should always plan ahead and anticipate for a volcanic eruption since there are over 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Hotel managers should always value the life and safety of their guest, therefore contingency plans should always be put in place which comes in handy in case of an eruption (Rindrasih, et al 2018). It will also be efficient if the manager ensures the hotel against such disasters which will be effective in countering losses and rebuilding the hotels easily. Even the Fullerton Bay would be met with similar circumstances if it was based in Indonesia near an active volcano.The parent hotel is enjoying a disaster-free environment which gives the hotel brand a thriving chance. The only difference it could make in a volatile location such as Sumatra is putting in place disaster management plans on a topnotch level which will adapt to the region (Amry,2018).
Volcanic eruptions may have a negative impact on the tourism industry in cases where it so volatile and harmful. As a “ring of fire” characteristic component of volcanoes where cataclysmic events happen in Indonesia has turned into the “niche market” of dark tourism fascination in Indonesia (Suyadnya et al,2017). A few cases of volcanoes in Indonesia that have turned into a vacation spot incorporate Mount Tangkuban Parahu in Bandung, Mount Bromo Mountain in East Java, Mount Batur in Bali and Mount Merapi in Central Java (Jenkins et al,2016). The media impression to social media showcases the wonder of a volcanic calamity that caused some tour guides to offer tour packages to the territory of dynamic volcanoes. Sinabung Mountain in North Sumatra which turned into the investigation locus has as of late turned into a vacation spot of various sightseers going by North Sumatra. According to Preece et al, (2016), the emission of Mount Merapi in Central Java in 2010 made 2,200 families be evacuated. Be that as it may, Behind the ejection of Mount Merapi disaster, there are individuals from the network who profit from the tourism segment, for example, a visit direct, trinket merchants, and so on. (Mei et al, 2016).
Conclusion
Tourism in recent years has experienced growth and sustainable development as well as successful diversification making it the fastest growing economic sector globally. However, tourism is particularly helpless against calamities and, being fragmented, regularly its reaction is hard to initiate and organize. It is additionally data intensive and when in mayhem its data needs are exacerbated. Indonesia is widely known to have many tourist attraction sites such as landmarks and beautiful islands which have over 14million foreign tourists into the country last year. However, there are some tourist sites that could pose a threat to tourism in the country and its geographical locations immensely such as Mt Sinabung which is volcanic. The paper plans to build up a disaster administration framework for debacles in a tourist destination such as Indonesia for the purpose of an information structure for tourism catastrophe administration in the tourism and hospitality industry through a protective of a volcano eruption. Learning is a great asset to encourage governments, associations and networks avert, moderate, get ready for and recuperate from calamities and emergencies that may arise. The paper further discusses the various disasters that happened in Indonesia its impacts and the how the government responded with the aid of foreign governments and international bodies. Moreover, recommendations of how managers should conduct themselves during a volcanic eruption id also discussed with the main point being the value of human life and offering quality services through efficient disaster management plans which will definably come in handy while recovering from the disasters.
Reference
Agustan, A., Kausar, D. and Kriswati, E., 2016. Linking interpretations with amenities: Educating visitors in volcanic environments. Tourism, Leisure and Global Change, 3, pp.1-10.
Amry, Z., 2018. Intervention Model of Sinabung Eruption to Occupancy of the Hotel in Brastagi, Indonesia. Researchers World, 9(2), p.85.
Andreastuti, S., Paripurno, E., Gunawan, H., Budianto, A., Syahbana, D. and Pallister, J., 2017. Character of community response to volcanic crises at Sinabung and Kelud volcanoes. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research.
Chatfield, A.T. and Reddick, C.G., 2015. Understanding risk communication gaps through e-government website and Twitter hashtag content analyses: the case of Indonesia’s Mt. Sinabung eruption. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 12(2), pp.351-385.
Erfurt-Cooper, P., Sigurdsson, H. and Lopes, R.M., 2015. Volcanoes and tourism. In The Encyclopedia of Volcanoes (Second Edition) (pp. 1295-1311).
Fontijn, K., Costa, F., Sutawidjaja, I., Newhall, C.G. and Herrin, J.S., 2015. A 5000-year record of multiple highly explosive mafic eruptions from Gunung Agung (Bali, Indonesia): implications for eruption frequency and volcanic hazards. Bulletin of Volcanology, 77(7), p.59.
Gertisser, R., Deegan, F.M., Troll, V.R. and Preece, K., 2018. When the gods are angry: volcanic crisis and eruption at Bali’s great volcano. Geology Today, 34(2), pp.62-65.
Jenkins, S.F., Komorowski, J.C., Baxter, P.J., Charbonnier, S.J. and Cholik, N., 2016. The Devastating Impact of the 2010 Eruption of Merapi Volcano, Indonesia. Plate Boundaries and Natural Hazards, pp.259-269.
Mei, E.T.W., Fajarwati, A., Hasanati, S. and Sari, I.M., 2016. Resettlement following the 2010 Merapi Volcano eruption. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 227, pp.361-369.
Miller, D.S., Gonzalez, C. and Hutter, M., 2017. Phoenix tourism within dark tourism: Rebirth, rebuilding and rebranding of tourist destinations following disasters. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 9(2), pp.196-215.
Preece, K., Gertisser, R., Barclay, J., Charbonnier, S.J., Komorowski, J.C. and Herd, R.A., 2016. Transitions between explosive and effusive phases during the cataclysmic 2010 eruption of Merapi volcano, Java, Indonesia. Bulletin of Volcanology, 78(8), p.54.
Rindrasih, E., Hartmann, T., Witte, P., Spit, T. and Zoomers, A., 2018. Travelling without a helmet: tourists’ vulnerabilities and responses to disasters in Indonesia. Disasters.
Suyadnya, I.W. and Fatanti, M.N., 2017. A Tale of Two Disasters: How is Disaster Emerging as a Tourist Destination in Indonesia?. Asian Journal of Tourism Research, 2(2), pp.33-64.
Walters, G., Mair, J. and Ritchie, B., 2015. Understanding the tourist’s response to natural disasters: The case of the 2011 Queensland floods. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 21(1), pp.101-113.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
