To Investigate Why Disasters Occur in Tourism Destinations Despite Known Risk Factors and Identify Overlooked Factors by Tourists and Authorities. A Study of KPK Tourist Spots

Abstract

The study centered on how perceived vulnerability felt by tourist destinations in the northern KPK regions is defined, mainly focusing on areas such as Swat, Dir, Chitral, and Kohistan. Tourist behavior, cultural attitudes, environmental change, communication barriers, and political will are examined in their interactions, thus ultimately leading to a comprehensive model from the study to be used in disaster risk reduction strategies in the tourism sector. These included an effort to identify the main factors affecting perceived vulnerability and the testing of specific hypotheses developed around the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF). Such a theoretical construct was meaningful in understanding how risk perception is appropriately constructed and intensified in tourism settings. The hypotheses examined the relationships between independent variables and perceived vulnerability and contributed to an understanding of these interactions in disaster-prone areas. With significant implications for policymakers and all tourism stakeholders and communities, this research highlights the salient factors to be valued in tourist perceptions and behaviors while aiming to target interventions to avert disasters. While communication and stakeholder involvement can aid in addressing safety perceptions, eventually, this would lead to more sustainable tourism development with less loss to life and property during disasters. In examining some four hundred tourists, a quantitative research design was put to the great task of collecting data through a cross-sectional survey. Stratified random sampling was leveraged to ensure that the respondent sample contained individuals with a range of demographic characteristics to enable a thorough investigation of perceptions and behaviors. Future studies should expand empirical investigations to various locations while including more theoretical models and investigating mediating variables causing perceived vulnerability.

On the agenda for future research should be the extension of empirical investigations to include a variety of new destinations, the incorporation of further research frameworks, and furthermore the investigation of mediating variables that influence perceived vulnerability. These extensions will be the basis for engendering an improved understanding of risk perceptions in tourism, which will also advance the building of more effective disaster risk reduction strategies so that the vulnerable destinations can be made safer and more resilient.

Keywords: perceived vulnerability, tourism destinations, tourist behavior, cultural attitudes, environmental changes, communication gaps, political will, disaster risk reduction