Date of Award

Summer 8-16-2024

Level of Access Assigned by Author

Open-Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Ecology and Environmental Sciences

Advisor

Sandra De Urioste-Stone

Second Committee Member

Laura Rickard

Third Committee Member

Linda Silka

Additional Committee Members

Andrea Caprara

Lorena N. Estrada

Abstract

Tourism is one of the largest growing industries, generating thousands of jobs worldwide. A growing threat to tourism destinations across the globe has been the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases. Usually, outbreaks of a novel disease can cause a negative economic impact on the tourism industry, as travelers might perceive it as risky or unsafe, and avoid visiting it. This study aimed to better understand the dynamics between three recent emerging infectious diseases and tourism. To understand the complexity of this phenomenon we implemented a case study that focused on chikungunya, Zika virus, and COVID-19 as recent emerging diseases in the Americas, and geographically, we targeted Guatemala, as a touristic destination, and US residents, as an important source of international travelers globally. We used a mixed method approach, combining a quantitative content analysis, semi-structured in-depth interviews, and online surveys, to integrate diverse perspectives. In Chapter 2, we assessed newsprint media articles, as a way of health risk communication, to understand the role news might play in informing tourists about novel diseases. Chapter 3 presents the perspective of international travelers, their characteristics, risk perceptions, and behaviors when facing a potential risk of exposure and infection while traveling to a destination with outbreaks. Chapter 4 describes the perspective of diverse stakeholders of the tourism industry in Guatemala, through getting to know their experiences with Zika virus, chikungunya, and COVID-19. Specifically, we focused on how these diseases impacted the tourism industry, and what strategies they used to cope with the situation. Chapter 5 integrates the findings obtained from the three perspectives, suggesting management implications and avenues for future research. Overall, this study supports greater integration between the tourism sector and public health, both to mitigate and manage a future potential crisis in a touristic destination, as to promote safe traveling from the public health perspective, considering that travelers can facilitate the spread of emerging diseases.

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