Exploring the Factors Influencing Disaster Preparedness Behaviour of Local Residents in Disaster Affected Tourism Destinations in Kerala
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Date
2025-04
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Publisher
Avinashilingam
Abstract
Disaster preparedness possesses the capacity to alleviate the detrimental consequences in destinations. Wayanad and Kozhikode districts are well known tourism destinations in Kerala and highly susceptible areas to disasters. The disasters have been continuously affected by disasters in recent years and drastically caused impact on the tourism industry in which the districts rely upon. The local community, tourists, tourism destinations are severely affected by the disasters. Due to the vulnerable situations of the districts, the significance of disaster preparedness cannot be overstated; but preparedness is an ongoing, adaptive process. The study not only addresses residents’ preparedness but how they evolve their behaviours for improving future preparedness efforts. The behaviour centric model developed emphasizes an integrated approach of residents for community-based crisis management. The study was supported by the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Place Attachment Theory to elucidate the preparedness behavior of vulnerable residents in Wayanad and Kozhikode districts. The study addressed the gap on dentification of residents’ behavioural factors and evaluated the causal relationship of influencing factors on Disaster Preparedness Behaviour (DPB); also identified the mediating roles of Self Efficacy (SE), Community Participation Attitude (CPA) and Community Participation Intention (CPI)
between Place Attachment (PA), Risk Perception (RP) and DPB. To investigate the context, questionnaires were distributed to the residents of disaster affected tourism destinations of the districts through stratified sampling. Behavioural Dynamics of Disaster Preparedness
framework was developed to explain the behavioural factors and the SEM model analysis shows overall good fit. The findings of the relationship between the influencing factors and DPB show that significant relationship exists between PA, SE, CPI to DPB. And insignificant
relationship exists between risk perception and DPB. The insignificant relationship shows the compelling necessity for the sensitive destinations through alternative disaster preparedness approach to enhance risk reduction. SE has partial mediation between PA and DPB. CPA and
CPI have mediating roles between RP (Full), PA (Partial) and DPB. The study provides insights to tourism stakeholders in building a framework for disaster preparedness practices to cope with future disasters through psychological and behavioural factors to shape decision- making for related actions. Also contribute to the existing body of literature of behavioural theory of disaster preparedness for sustainable development.
Keywords: Disaster Preparedness Behaviour, Place Attachment, Community Participation Intention, Self Efficacy, Risk Perception
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Keywords
Tourism Management