Administrative Roles in Tourist Destinations for Disaster Prevention/Mitigation and Rapid Recovery

—Regional Disaster Prevention Plan and BCP—

Abstract

Natural disasters occur every year in Japan. It is very difficult to relocate tourism resources and facilities when they are affected by a disaster. Therefore, there are three roles for an administration responsible for a tourist destination in terms of disaster prevention and mitigation. The first is to develop a regional disaster prevention plan for residents and tourists. The second is to implement the plan giving full consideration to past disasters and methods of disaster prevention and mitigation. The third is to secure a budget for disaster prevention and mitigation. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic serves as a reminder to each tourist destination of the need for a BCP, assuming the worst risks, including no incoming flow of tourists. There are two key points in making a BCP for a tourist destination. The first is the diversity of target markets, such as international or domestic tourists. The second is the diversity of products which will appeal to anyone at any time. BCPs that assume the worst-case scenario could make tourist destinations sustainable, quickly restoring tourism demand no matter what disasters occur.