Contributed By Kayla Douglas

If the previous three years were marked by travel advisors navigating post-pandemic roadblocks, 2023 presented yet another layer of challenges–responsible tourism in the face of natural disasters.

Harking back to SmartFlyer’s founding in 1990, there has been no shortage of unpredictable world events that have transformed the way we travel. But the essence of the work we do as travel advisors has always been rooted in acting as a trusted resource when the unexpected happens; our clients consistently turn to their SmartFlyer travel agent to seek counsel on what to do if an active, upcoming, or even theoretical future trip is impacted by a geopolitical, economic, or climate crisis. With earthquakes and wildfires breaking out across some of our top-visited destinations including Turkey, Maui, and Morocco in recent months, a critical conversation centered around what it means to travel to a region impacted by a natural disaster continues to develop.

We aim to balance our environmental footprint with generating a positive economic impact on the local communities with whom we interact on every trip–both the ones we plan for clients and those we personally take to scout out the latest hot spots.

As global citizens, our Smartie community feels a shared responsibility to advocate for responsible tourism. We aim to balance our environmental footprint with generating a positive economic impact on the local communities with whom we interact on every trip–both the ones we plan for clients and those we personally take to scout out the latest hot spots. Not only do we seek a deeper understanding of the places we visit and the people we meet along the way, but as a mission-driven company, SmartFlyer acknowledges that our clients’ and teams’ travel creates a collective ripple effect. While there are innumerable approaches to assessing the ethics behind exactly how and where you play tourist, recent events compel us to focus on determining when a place that’s recently suffered from a natural disaster is ready to welcome travelers.

Let geography guide your decision-making

We often speak about the greater impact of your tourism dollars as it relates to safari, but the same principles apply when traveling to a destination recently impacted by a fire, flood, earthquake, or hurricane. We’ll elaborate more below on how to assess whether your visit will impede recovery efforts to ensure you don’t further burden the infrastructure of a destination on the rebound, but first, let’s talk logistics. As we’ve analyzed patterns around natural disasters against wider public perception, we’ve consistently observed a disconnect between how vast some of the countries (and continents) are where incidents take place in relation to their touristic points of interest.

For context, let’s refer to the Australian bushfires that broke out in 2019 and 2020 across New South Wales and Victoria. Worldwide news coverage widely portrayed the fires as cataclysmic, and in turn, scores of international visitors canceled their trips altogether. In January 2020, Forbes reported that over 60% of bookings to non-fire zones were canceled, and overall, $4.5 billion in tourism dollars were lost. While Australia is approximately the same size as the contiguous United States, the blazes affected an area the size of Wisconsin. The fires occurred mere months prior to the pandemic shuttering tourism globally; Australia wouldn’t reopen international visitors again until February 2022.

Is it safe to go to [insert destination]?

While your travel advisor is seemingly all-knowing, it’s important to remember that no one can guarantee safety either at home or abroad. So, this question isn’t necessarily for us to answer. Instead, as savvy travel advisors, we operate out of an abundance of caution and meet our clients wherever they are. While some intrepid travelers are more risk-averse than others, it’s our job to understand what your particular risk tolerance is and plan accordingly. This school of thought can be applied to smaller-scale incidents like airport strikes and much larger-scale world events such as the likelihood of a volcanic eruption (looking at you, Mount Etna), or a destination’s vulnerability to floods, wildfires, hurricanes, or earthquakes.

What we can do with absolute assurance–in addition to heeding government-mandated travel warnings and navigating their nuance-laden recommendations–is tap into our highly connected network around the world. The benefit of working with a SmartFlyer travel advisor to assist in making travel decisions is two-fold: your agent will provide you with tailored recommendations based on your comfort level, as well as ensure you have in-destination support should you decide to move ahead with your travel plans. Our team consistently taps into our highly connected network of travel experts, leaning on relationships with those on the ground to get real-time updates and guidance for the short-, medium-, and long-term impact of a developing incident.

Should we cancel our trip?

With the unfolding of each ever-unpredictable natural disaster, ensuing conversations about trip cancellation are incredibly personal; there is no one-size-fits-all response. But one thing remains consistent with each scenario: it’s impossible to know how future trips will be affected until we allow for several days–oftentimes, weeks–after the incident occurs to get the full picture. As much as we want to be your first call to chat through your options about an upcoming trip when headlines break, a bit of patience in choosing to keep, postpone, or cancel your trip altogether is key. With this in mind, SmartFlyer clients can expect their advisors to think fast–followed by taking the necessary time to pause and await vetted, live-time news straight from our in-destination partners so that we can advocate for you accordingly.

In the case of the devastating earthquake that struck Morocco on September 8, 2023, we have been in constant communication with our clients, advisors, and partners on the ground to discuss timely updates. After establishing the safety of all of those impacted within our SmartFlyer family, we have since been committed to fielding questions about what’s next for one of our most beloved destinations. Mere days after the quake, the response from government officials and the hospitality community has been unified: the Atlas Mountains were severely impacted and trips to this region in the imminent future will need to be rerouted; however, Casablanca, Rabat, Fes, Tangier, Chefchaouen, the Sahara Desert, and the Agafay Desert are all in normal working order and ready to welcome visitors. So while we will be working to re-accommodate travelers with itineraries covering the Atlas Mountains while those properties address widespread structural damage, the single best way you can stand in solidarity with Morocco isn’t to cancel your trip but instead modify where necessary.

Will I be a burden to the local community?

Economic impact aside, the most important question for travelers to ask themselves about the timing of their trip is whether their visit will burden the local community. Government messaging can help to crystalize whether the destination’s infrastructure is able to take care of its people, and of course, vetted charities support key relief efforts (more on that later). We don’t recommend visiting a place that is still in the thick of connecting locals with charitable relief–if you’re seeing the place you want to visit peppered in Red Cross trucks, it’s too soon. With any natural disaster, it is imperative that travelers refrain from visiting during this critical healing period.

But when exactly does it become appropriate to visit? Well, that depends on who you ask. On August 8th, 2023, a fire embroiled Lahaina, and the immediate response from Hawaiian local officials was for tourists to stay away. People listened. Our partners in Maui have since shared sentiments that the true aloha spirit has been felt–one ohana, or one family, has come together to support each other. Our dear partners at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea have been a part of numerous rehabilitation efforts, initially beginning with housing displaced residents, but now reporting all have been rehomed. One month after declaring that tourists stay home, the directive to stay away from Maui wreaked havoc on its economy, of which about 40 percent is compromised by tourism.

The New York Times reported that plummeting visitor numbers–fewer than at any point since the pandemic–and contradictory pleas from Hawaii’s politicians and residents have resulted in resort employees being sent home in droves with no work and no pay. As a result, the new narrative has vastly changed. According to the most recent update from Governor Josh Green, M.D., “All previous restrictions for travel to West Maui communities north of Lahaina will be lifted October 8 and no one should be discouraged or reluctant to go and support the businesses and workers that rely on tourism in West Maui for their families’ livelihood.” In the case of Four Seasons, in partnership with Maui Strong, they ensure your stay contributes to the island’s recovery, in addition to hosting their “Love for Lahaina” program which features culinary popups from chefs who once had outposts in Lahaina; all proceeds will go towards helping them rebuild their businesses.

Should I consider traveling to an impacted country as a sign of support?

While reading the news about Morocco during a recent stay at Maçakizi Hotel–a boutique hotel situated along Bodrum’s glistening Turquoise Coast–the resonance of a days-old conversation with our Turkish tour guide in Cappadocia resurfaced. We’d been winding through Göreme Open Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as we took in the impressive display of the wind-carved rock formations called fairy chimneys. Leading the way, he lamented, “Since the earthquake in February, we’ve seen a major decline in American tourists. People are scared to come.” I’d been flattened by his assessment; both perplexed at how to talk about something as elusive as safety with those who’d inevitably ask me whether they should visit Turkey–knowing that Morocco faces similar challenges to reassure prospective visitors in the coming months.

“Tourist reticence in the wake of a disaster is understandable. Vacationers tend to see news footage of any disaster zone and equate that with the country as a whole – even when that country is as geographically extensive as Turkey.”

Istanbul lies five hundred miles from the February 6, 2023 earthquake’s epicenter, which was in the inland city of Kahramanmars. In January 2023, reports estimated that stays of two nights or more in Istanbul were down 7% compared to pre-pandemic levels. By mid-year, they were down over 30%, with analysts citing a lack of confidence post-earthquake as the cause. Perhaps put most succinctly by a CNN report shortly following the quake, “Tourist reticence in the wake of a disaster is understandable. Vacationers tend to see news footage of any disaster zone and equate that with the country as a whole – even when that country is as geographically extensive as Turkey.” The rebound of tourism–which accounts for about 10% of Turkish GDP–is critical for the 1.7 million Turkish people who work in the hospitality sector. But it’s not just about the numbers, it’s also about the feeling a place gives you; When traveling throughout Turkey, the harmony of the culturally enriching experiences it provides combined with knowing you’re investing in a place that so appreciates the business elicites an even deeper sense of gratification.

How can I protect a future trip from the unexpected?

Perhaps the least sexy part of booking any trip is planning for the improbable likelihood of a natural disaster. This is where travel insurance comes in. Depending on the complexity of your itinerary, total trip cost, the age of travelers, pre-existing health conditions, the country you’re visiting, and the risk of any planned activities (hey, we’ve got some base jumpers out there!), your travel advisor can recommend the right insurance plan for you. While we are not certified insurance brokers, SmartFlyer has decades-long relationships with some of the most reputed travel insurance companies on the market and we’d be thrilled to point you in the right direction to protect your investment.

I don’t have any plans to visit, but how can I help from afar?

If travel to an impacted region isn’t on your radar, the most straightforward way to help those affected is to donate to vetted charities. With regard to recent events, the enduring spirit of Maui and Morocco promises that healing isn’t just on the horizon, but actively happening. As mentioned above, the Maui Strong Fund is our vetted recommendation should you wish to donate to Maui’s relief efforts.

Over in Morocco, with so many clients and Smarties having a personal connection to the Atlas Mountains, the Kasbah Tamadot team has been delivering supplies donated by the hotel to the local villages, despite many team members losing their own homes. The property’s charity arm, the Eve Branson Foundation, remains a part of the fabric of the community; if you are seeking a place to donate to help, their Earthquake Relief Fund is a vetted option to mobilize support. Additional charitable endeavors vetted by our partners include Education For All (EFA) and Banque Alimentaire.