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Graphic media portrayals of disasters reduce tourist numbers and damage the image of a destination. From a tourism perspective, disasters can be classified into two categories: the highly visible 'immediate' disaster that may range from an airplane crash to a civil war; and the less visible, slower acting 'structural' disaster that arises from lack of attention to health and safety issues at tourist destinations.

Traditionally, most attention has been given to dealing with the impact of immediate disasters that are often unique events and soon forgotten. One example is the tragic 1999 Interlaken canyoning accident in Switzerland that claimed 21 lives. Although lives are lost in such cases, the one-off nature of the incident and subsequent actions to enhance safety and security substantially reduce the possibility of a repeat disaster.

Much less attention has been given to structural disasters, which, because of their recurrent nature, gradually create a perception that particular destinations are high risk. Examples include repeated incidents of crime, poor water quality causing recurrent health problems, high risk of acquiring diseases including malaria and sexually transmitted diseases, and physical injury through motor vehicle and recreational accidents.

Tourists are now turning away from destinations where they may be exposed to personal risk. While there is always a group of adventure seekers who wish to visit the world's 'hot spots', most travelers are conscious of safety and security issues. In a competitive international market, destinations must be aware of health and safety issues, and proactive in their management. According to the World Tourism Organization (1996), safety and security are two main issues facing the global tourism industry.

Research shows that tourists are most likely to be injured in unfamiliar environments while participating in unfamiliar activities. What is common for local people can be quite dangerous for a visitor. For example, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury and death for international travelers. Driving a vehicle on the opposite side of the road is a major factor in crashes, with one recent Australian study (Wilks, Watson and Hansen, 2000) reporting significantly more head-on crashes by tourists who drive on the other side of the road at home.

Implementing effective strategies for avoiding health and safety disasters requires coordination between the public and private sectors. A four-step disaster management model has been proposed by Prideaux and Master (in press). The first step, identifying actual and potential areas of risk, is perhaps the most crucial. Government authorities and the tourism industry are naturally reluctant to admit that their visitors may be exposed to ill health and injury. Therefore, most destinations have limited information on which to base their planning processes.

There are also legal and insurance reasons for tourism operators to pay attention to health and safety issues. Under regulations like the European Community (EC) Directive on Package Travel (1990), travel organizers and agents have specific responsibilities to provide health and safety information to their clients. Recent tourism disasters such as legal class actions for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and the economic loss from foot and mouth disease in the United Kingdom, highlight the now dominant role of law in tourism operations.

Many nations provide travel advice and warnings for their citizens, and this is available on the internet; for example, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade travel site is located at www.dfat.gov.au/travel/index.html. Without a disaster management strategy and cooperation among stakeholders, any destination is at risk of losing international tourists and gaining a negative reputation. In the competitive global tourism marketplace, planning and prevention for both immediate and structural disasters makes good business sense.