The impacts of natural hazards on Taiwan’s tourism industry

Typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan in 2009, severely damaging the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, a famous tourist resort in Taiwan. The only highway to this area was under repair for 10 months after the typhoon. Consequently, Alishan’s tourism industry suffered losses estimated at NT$1 billion. This work investigates the impacts of natural hazards on Taiwan’s tourism industry. First, government, university, and industry experts were invited to a focus-group interview to update criteria for tourism development in Taiwan. Next, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to rank the proposed criteria. Last, two tourist attractions, one urban and one rural, are discussed in detail. This work proposes three novel dimensions for Taiwan’s tourism development—destination attraction, destination arrangement, and contingency planning for natural hazards—which comprise nine criteria. Analytical results will provide Taiwan’s tourism industry with references for future policy-making and sustainable development.