How to Become Resilient in Five Steps
In this section we introduce a 5-step methodology that enables you to perform a comprehensive resilience analysis and will provide you with tools/methods to become (more) resilient.
While destination resilience has evolved as a valuable concept to deal with risks and uncertainty, approaches and examples on how to put it to practice in a destination are scarce. In the following sections you will find a step-by-step guideline to analyse risks and resilience in a tourism destination. The focus is on different sources of risks, underlying risk drivers, options for action, and resilience principles. The analysis involves the following five steps:
Implementation of the five steps
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Step 1: Defining the destination
Who needs to be resilient? The first step is about defining the destination by giving an overview of the context, the main actor groups and stakeholders and the relevant assets, products and services in the destination. The definition should also include the geographical scope, the compromising and describing elements as well as the background of the destination.
Guiding questions
- What is the geographical scope of the destination of interest (e. g. a specific community, a district, a region, a specific type of destination)?
- Who are the main actors involved in the creation and delivery of the tourist product offered in the destination?
- What elements compromise and describe the destination (e. g. natural and built environment, assets, attractions, visitor markets)?
- What is the social, economic, historic and political background of the destination?
Suggested Tools and Methods
- Desk research, literature review,
- Stakeholder identification and consultation (e. g. key person interviews).
Step 2: Identifying sources of risks
What does the destination need to be resilient against? This start starts by identifying the sources of risk. These include e.g. natural and human-made hazards and perceived risks. Additionally, give an overview of observed impacts on tourism.
Guiding questions
- What different sources of risk exist in the tourism destination?
- How do identified sources of risk affect tourism?
- What is perceived as a risk to tourism?
Suggested tools and methods
- Literature review of scientific studies (e. g. socio-economic, environmental and development) and grey literature (e. g. national hazard, risk or adaptation plans; IPCC reports; information portals),
- Supplementary interviews or focus group discussions with selected representatives of the destination as well as local experts.
Step 3: Understanding risks and options for action
This step is all about understand the risks and options for actions by identifying the key risks for tourism, discussing underlying drivers of risks and giving an overview of potential options for actions.
Guiding questions
- What are key risks for tourism in the destination?
- What underlying factors influence risks?
- What options for responding to risks are available (e. g. actions and measures to adapt, prepare, prevent and deal with identified risks)?
Suggested tools and methods
- Workshop with local experts or local stakeholders (governmental, non-governmental organisations and academia, e. g. departments or research institutions working on natural resource management, development studies, biodiversity, geography, disaster risk reduction) using participatory workshop techniques (e. g. gallery walk, small group discussions, simulation / serious game, risk diagram, risk impact chain).
Step 4: Analysing enablers of and barriers to action
To make sure, that the identified options for action are actually feasible, practice and supported by local stakeholders, this step is about collecting information about local preferences for action to address risks and promote sustainable development. This is done by identifying enabling and hindering factors for action for building resilience in a dialogue with destination stakeholders.
Guiding questions
- How do local tourism actors prioritise different options for action to respond to risks?
- Which options for action are feasible and relevant for local tourism actors?
- What factors influence people’s ability and willingness to take action for building resilience (e. g. financial and time resources, knowledge, social networks, beliefs, values, norms)?
Suggested tools and methods
- Survey
- Short, structured interviews.
Step 5: Creating ownership and reflecting on resilience principles
To tie it all together, in a last step, it is necessary to identify responsibilities and strengthen ownership for resilient action. This step is about developing pathways for resilience and integrating resilience principles into daily tourism practice.
Guiding questions
- Who is responsible for the implementation of selected actions for building resilience?
- How can identified barriers be overcome and a pathway be developed?
- How can local tourism actors integrate resilience principles into their daily tourism practice?
Suggested tools and methods
- Participatory workshop (e. g. gallery walk, scenario techniques, experimental game, serious gaming approach).
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