The Five Pillars of Tourism Resilience

Tourism resilience encompasses the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to disruptions effectively. This capability is critical for ensuring the long-term viability and sustainability of tourism destinations and the associated small and medium enterprises (SMEs). To enhance resilience, destinations need to change management practices, upgrade infrastructure, engage communities, and promote sustainable resource use. These actions help destinations withstand and recover from challenges, ensuring they remain attractive and functional for both visitors and residents.

‍Key dimensions of tourism resilience and actions

1. Environmental resilience refers to the capacity of a destination's natural assets to resist damage and recover quickly from disasters. For destinations where natural attractions like beaches, mountains, rivers, and forests are central to tourism, protecting these assets is paramount. Actions to enhance environmental resilience include:
   • Developing land use policies to control development around key natural sites
   • Implementing biodiversity conservation initiatives
   • Creating carbon absorption solutions
   • Collaborating with agricultural and industrial communities to secure the provision of essential natural products​​
2. Infrastructure resilience involves ensuring that accommodation, transportation, and other SMEs are robust and can function efficiently even in crisis situations. Key actions include:
   • Assessing and upgrading physical infrastructure to be safe and aligned with broader destination strategies
   • Developing and practicing evacuation drills and other crisis response protocols​​
3. Economic resilience is about maintaining the stability and adaptability of SMEs and the workforce in the face of disruptions. This includes:
   • Providing financial support to tourism SMEs and workers during crises
   • Encouraging flexible business models that can pivot quickly in response to changes
   • Implementing proactive policies like training and capacity building to improve overall economic stability​​
4. Social resilience focuses on the ability of communities to cope with and recover from disruptions while maintaining social cohesion. Actions to foster social resilience include:
   • Ensuring community involvement in tourism activities
   • Balancing the needs of visitors and residents to avoid conflicts
   • Enhancing local education and career opportunities related to tourism​​
5. Resource resilience involves managing essential resources like energy and water to ensure a reliable and sustainable supply. Measures include:
   • Diversifying sources of water and energy to provide backup and surge capacity
   • Developing local policies on energy and water efficiency
   • Encouraging the use of renewable energy sources​​

Building tourism resilience is a multifaceted effort that requires addressing various dimensions through targeted actions. By focusing on environment, infrastructure, economic, social, and resource resilience, destinations can enhance their ability to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to disruptions. This comprehensive approach ensures that tourism sectors remain robust and sustainable, benefiting both local communities and visitors in the long run.

This article is based on the WTTC report “Enhancing Resilience: To drive sustainability in destinations”, published June 2022